Pokemon - Thunder Yellow
by Spirit Reader
Summary: In the Kanto Region, Trainers have the choice of choosing either Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle to begin their Pokemon Journeys with. However, what would happen if a Trainer didn't make that choice? This is the story of one such Trainer and his desire to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master!
1. Chapter 1

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 1:** _An Electrifying Beginning – Part 1_

* * *

 _And there goes Tauros, charging towards Nidoqueen with the intensity of a bulldozer! But wait…Nidoqueen caught Tauros with its bare hands. And…there it is, the Hyper Beam! Tauros has been taken out by Nidoqueen's powerful Hyper Beam attack!_

That was the sound coming for the television set of 15-year-old Takashi Nakamura as he was busy watching an incredible Pokémon Battle while taking the time pack a bag with all sorts of supplies. Pokémon are powerful, yet mysterious creatures of incredible size and shape that roam the world in abundance. Trainers, those who raise and train Pokémon, battle each other in the hope of improving their skills and one day obtaining the exclusive title of Pokémon Master.

As he continued watching the battle on his TV, a large smile slowly started to appear on Takashi's face. The way the Pokémon were facing each other and how skillfully their Trainers were commanding them motivated him to an incredible degree. For almost all of his life, Takashi has long desired of one day leaving his home and traveling the world as a Pokémon Trainer, catching and raising any Pokémon that he happens to encounter during his travels. Now that he's 15, the legal age in which one can become a Trainer, he finally has the opportunity to do so. Because of that, the young man can't help but feel excited as he knows he'll soon by like the Trainers that he's watching on TV.

"Just one more night…" He said to himself. "Just one more night and I can finally become a Pokémon Trainer. Once that happens…I can finally work towards my dream."

Like many young Trainers, Takashi's dream is to one day become a Pokémon Master. However, the goal of becoming a Pokémon Master is much closer to his heart than most people. It stems from his father, Tatsumi, who he considered to be his hero growing up. Even though he wasn't a widely known Pokémon Trainer, Tatsumi's dedication towards himself and his Pokémon was something that his son always found to be very inspiring. It's because of him that Takashi made it his dream in life to become a Pokémon Master so that he can be as cool as his father.

Unfortunately for Takashi however, Tatsumi will never get the opportunity to see his son strive to achieve his dream. This is because he tragically passed away while out on a Pokémon Journey back when Takashi was only 6-years-old. On the day Tatsumi left on his final journey, Takashi told his father about his dream and how some of the kids his age made fun of him because of it, saying that he couldn't do it. Upon hearing this, Tatsumi simply smiled and told his son that even if nobody believed in him, he always will. It's those kind words of his father that motivates Takashi so much, knowing that his goals are not just for himself, but for Tatsumi as well.

Once the Pokémon Battle on TV came to an end, Takashi stopped packing his bag for a moment and turned his attention towards photograph of him and his father. Upon making his way towards it and picking it up, the expression on his face changed slightly, becoming a mixture of excitement and motivation.

"Just watch dad. I'm going to do it! I'll become the greatest Pokémon Master the world has ever seen! Just you wait!"

As Takashi made that declaration to his late father, someone opened the door to his room and stared at the young man from behind. This individual was Takashi's mother, Haruka Nakamura. A very attractive woman, Haruka had pitch-black hair like and bright blue eyes just like her son. Her attire consisted of an ordinary dress with blue and white stripes and her long hair was tied into a braided ponytail. She was also wearing a necklace that held a gold crested jewel in the middle.

While looking at her son from behind, Haruka couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm that he was displaying. She knew very well how close his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master was to him and, being a former Pokémon Trainer herself, knew how determined Takashi was in achieving it. Even so, after noticing that it was well past midnight, Haruka knew that it was late and that Takashi needed to go bed and get some rest for tomorrow.

"What do you think you're doing up, young man?!" She questioned him. "You should be in bed, Takashi!"

Upon hearing his mother calling out to him, Takashi suddenly perked up and quickly turned to face her. When he did, he instantly saw her looking at him with an angry expression on her face. Since he was leaving to begin his Pokémon Journey the next day, Haruka told him to head to be early so that he can get an early morning start. However, doing so meant that he would miss the Pokémon Battle that he just finished watching on TV and he knew he couldn't do that. Also, it was because his Journey was tomorrow that Takashi just couldn't bring himself to fall asleep.

"I can't go to bed, mom!" He told her with a slight frown on his face. "My Pokémon Journey starts tomorrow. I'm too excited to sleep."

"…Well, if you can't sleep then you should at least be getting ready for tomorrow."

Haruka looked around Takashi's room, trying to find the remote to his TV. Once she found it, she quickly changed the channel for the Pokémon Battle that her son was watching to a news channel.

"Here…watch this," She told him. "And make sure you go to bed when this is over."

Once she said that, Haruka placed the remote on Takashi's bed and promptly left his room. As soon as she was gone, Takashi turned towards the news program and saw that it was being hosted by Professor Oak, a leading Pokémon Researcher who lives in the same place where he and his mother live, Pallet Town.

" _Good evening, Pallet."_ Oak said. _"On tonight's broadcast I will be discussing the 3 Pokémon that new Pokémon Trainers may start their Journeys with; Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle."_

As Professor Oak continued talking, he pointed to 3 pictures that were on the wall behind him that displayed the Pokémon that he was referring too. Bulbasaur was a Grass-Type Pokémon that resembled a dinosaur with a plant bulb on its back. Charmander was a Fire-Type Pokémon who resembled an orange lizard that could not only stand up on two legs, but also had small flame burning on the tip of its tail. And finally, Squirtle was a Water-Type Pokémon that resembled a blue turtle that had a large brown shell.

In the Kanto Region, which is the country that he lives him, these 3 Pokémon are the ones that almost every Pokémon Trainer typically starts with when they begin their careers. For this reason why Takashi took the time to study as much as he could on all of them as he knew that he would be picking one to start his own Journey with. All 3 of them were pretty cool and Takashi secretly wished that he pick all 3 so that he wouldn't have to choose. Unfortunately for him though, that simply wasn't the case.

Soon, as the program was beginning to come to an end, Takashi finally finished packing all the things that he would possibly need for his Journey tomorrow. He then went on to change out of his clothes and prepare to sleep in his bed for what would be the last time for a while. As he was doing so however, Takashi took the time to listen as Professor Oak spoke to the audience one last time.

" _Remember Trainers,"_ He said. _"The road to become a Pokémon Master is a long one filled with many obstacles. Only those with the strength of heart and the will to be one with their Pokémon can ever hope to achieve such a goal. Never forget that."_

"Don't worry…I won't!" Takashi said confidently as he grabbed his remote and cut off his TV.

Once he did that, the young man cut off the lights to his room and laid down comfortably on his bed with his comforter lying over him. However, although he tried his best to fall asleep, Takashi was still too excited about tomorrow. He wondered what kind of Pokémon he would meet during his travels and what kind of battles that he will partake in. Takashi also thought about all the places that he would visit and all the friends that he would make as well. All of those thoughts ran through his mind and so it made it damn-near impossible for him to fall asleep.

Upon realizing this, Takashi went on to make sure that the door to his room was closed before grabbing his remote and cutting his TV back on. He then lowered the volume so that his mother couldn't hear him before changing the channel back to what it was before. As he went on to watch a replay of the battle that he just watched previously, Takashi smiled to himself as he turned and looked at the picture of himself and his father again.

"Just one more night," He said to himself. "Just one more night and it all begins."

Once he said that, Takashi turned his attention back towards the battle, becoming excited when he saw both Trainers send out their first Pokémon.

* * *

"Takashi…Takashi, wake up now!"

As his mother started calling him from downstairs in the kitchen, Takashi was still sleeping in his room, completely unaware that it was now morning. Because he watched the entirety of last night's Pokémon Battle again, it wasn't until late into the evening that he finally found himself able to fall asleep. Upon doing so however, Takashi was so exhausted that couldn't bring himself to wake up and get out of bed. If this continued, then he would miss the chance to get his Starter Pokémon and begin his Journey. Fortunately though, the aspiring young man would soon receive some help with his predicament.

Just as Haruka was about to call out to her son again, the doorbell to her home started ringing. She was about to ignore it at first, but upon hearing it again, Haruka stopped what she was doing and proceeded to make her way towards the front door. When she opened the door she was quite pleased to see who was there.

One was a young man with short, messy black hair and green eyes. His attire consisted of a black and blue shirt with black jeans. He was also wearing a set of brown gloves that not only covered his hands, but a part of his arms as well. The other one at the door was a young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Her attire consisted of a white and orange shirt and blue jeans. She was also wearing a bright red ribbon that was resting at the top of her head.

"Kazuto…Minako…Good morning, you two!" Haruka said with a warm smile on her face. "Are you both ready for today?"

"Yes we are, Mrs. Nakamura," Minako replied.

Kazuto Mikamura and Minako Suzuki are two aspiring Pokémon Trainers and are childhood friends of Takashi. Having known one another ever since they were little, the three of them are extremely close, working hard so that they can one day achieve their goal of becoming great Pokémon Trainers. It's because of this that they all decided that they would leave for their respective Journeys once they all turned 15. Both Minako and Kazuto believed that Takashi would already be up, given how excited he was about this, but were surprised when that was not the case.

"Where is Takashi, ma'am?" Kazuto questioned. "He was the one who told us yesterday to meet up here yesterday."

"He's probably still in bed," Haruka said as she turned her attention towards the upstairs of her home for a moment. "I told that boy not to stay up late. Could the two of you go upstairs and get him?"

Both Minako and Kazuto agreed to Haruka's request and proceeded to make their way upstairs. Once they arrived, Minako started knocking on the door of Takashi's room for a bit, but got no response. This prompted her open the door and both she and Kazuto saw their friend lying on his bed, fast asleep. While Minako found this scene to be quite amusing, Kazuto did not and thus quickly made his way towards Takashi. He then started shaking him, hoping that it would be enough to wake him up.

"C'mon man!" He said. "Get out of bed! Today's the day that we start our Pokémon Journeys and we're going to be late to get our Starter Pokémon because of you!"

Kazuto kept on shaking his friend, hoping to get some type of response from out of him. Unfortunately, not matter how hard he tried or what he said, Takashi just continued to sleep in his bed. It was like he was in a coma and that nothing was going to wake up him. He was about to give up, but stopped when he saw Minako begin to make her way towards Takashi. She then looked back towards Kazuto for a moment and gave him a small smile, silently informing him that she'll take it from here.

Upon making her way to the sleeping Takashi, Minako looked at him with a warm smile on her face. She found him to be very adorable as he slept that as she felt that she could watch him sleep for hours. Eventually, Minako gradually crept closer to Takashi and as she did, Kazuto looked on in shock as a small blush started to appear on his face. However, Kazuto's shock soon turned into fear as the expression on Minako's face changed into one of anger and irritation.

"WAKE UP, YOU MORON!"

Using both of her hands, Minako clapped them at the very instant she screamed right in Takashi's ear. The sudden sound of both noises were enough to finally wake up Takashi, who immediately jumped out of bed and fell face first onto the floor. He then slowly lifted his head and the first thing he saw was an angry Minako staring at him, almost ready to kill him at any moment.

"Uhh…Good morning, Minako," He said in a nervous tone of voice.

Although he tried to play off the situation, it was clear to Takashi that Minako wasn't having any of it. Because of that, the young man simply braced himself as Minako went to beat him up for sleeping and making them late. As he started screaming in pain, Haruka listened as she continued making breakfast in the kitchen. However, she made no effort to help her son as she knew that this beating was something he brought upon himself.

Eventually, once Minako was finished unleashing her anger upon Takashi, both she and Kazuto proceeded to make their way back downstairs. After about 10 minutes, Takashi finally came down as well. His attire mostly consisted of a red and blue shirt with a black jacket and blue jeans. He was also wearing a pair of black and red fingerless gloves and hat that covered his extremely spiky hair. Lastly, as he made his way towards the kitchen table, everyone saw that Takashi had several small bruises on his face, thanks in large part to the beating that Minako gave to him.

"So sweetie…did you have a good sleep?" Haruka questioned as she handed her son his breakfast.

Takashi didn't respond to his mother's words, knowing full well that she was making fun of him. Instead, the young man simply focused on his food, devouring it with the speed of the world's fastest Pokémon. Once he was finished, Takashi went on to have both seconds and thirds before finally having his fill. After that, he put his plate into the sink and proceeded to make his way towards the door along with his friends.

"Alright mom," He said as he turned towards his mother. "I'm heading out to Professor Oak's Pokémon Lab."

"Okay…" Haruka replied. "Make sure you come right back once you're done though. I want to give you something before you leave to go on your journey."

Nodding his head in compliance, Takashi said his goodbyes to his mother before leaving his home with Minako and Kazuto. The three of them then started making their way through Pallet Town as they walked towards Professor Oak's lab. Because of how late they were, the trio needed to make up for lost time. In order to do that, Kazuto suggested that they take a short cut through a nearby forest. Realizing that they didn't have much of a choice, both Takashi and Minako agreed and soon the three friends found themselves walking through the woods.

As they walked, Takashi and his friends took the time to observe their surroundings. Normally, because they don't have any Pokémon of their own, they were forbidden to walk through the forest without adult supervision. Because of that, none of them had the opportunity to see how wild Pokémon are in their natural environment. Takashi found it to be simply incredible and it only affirmed his desire to receive a Pokémon of his own and begin his Journey. However, it also put a certain question into his mind as well.

"Hey guys…" He said as he turned his attention towards his friends. "Do you know which Pokémon you're going to choose as your Starter?"

Minako and Kazuto looked at one another for a second as they were both surprised by Takashi's sudden question. They then thought about it for a moment before turning their attention back towards Takashi and giving him an answer.

"Well…I decided to choose Squirtle as my Starter," Kazuto answered. "I've been doing my research and I believe that it's the most balance of the three choices, making it the ideal choice."

"Well…my choice isn't as complicated as Kazuto's," Minako responded. "I'm going to choose Bulbasaur. My mother said that she started her own Pokémon Journey with a Grass-Type. Since she's my hero, I decided that I want to follow in her footsteps. What about you, Takashi?"

Upon being asked that question, Takashi closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment. As he did so, his mind flashed back to the time when his father was still alive. He always loved it when he participated in battles, especially with one Pokémon in particular. When his father died, Takashi decided that when he was old enough to begin his own career as a Trainer, he would choose the same Pokémon that his father chose when he was his age.

"I'm going to chose Charmander," He answered. "I decided long ago that I was going to chose Charmander…so that I can raise it all the way until it evolves into a Charizard, the same Pokémon that my father had."

A big smiled started to appear on Takashi's face as he thought about how powerful his father's Charizard was and how he'll soon have one of his own. Upon seeing that smile, both Minako and Kazuto let out a small smile of their own as well. All three of them had a reason to choose one the Kanto Region Starters and those reasons were very close to their hearts. Because of that, the three friends continued on through the forest so that they could finally reach Professor Oak's Lab.

Eventually, after about 10 minutes of walking, Takashi and his friends finally reached the end of the forest and were able to see the Research Lab in the distance. When he got a good look at it, Takashi realized that he was so close in beginning his quest on becoming a Pokémon Master. With that, he prepared to make his way over there with his friends. However, before he could take a single step forward, something extremely loud suddenly sounded off back inside the forest.

"What…What was that?!" Kazuto questioned as he nervously turned towards the forest.

Takashi and Minako turned back towards the forest as well, both of them wondering the exact same thing. When that loud sound shot through the woods again, Takashi noticed that it sounded a lot like thunder. However, that couldn't be it as there wasn't a single dark cloud in the sky. Eventually, once he heard the noise for a third time, the young man decided to go investigate it, much to the surprise of both of his friends.

"Hey!" Minako yelled as she called out to Takashi. "Where do you think you're going? The Lab is the other way!"

"I'm going to figure out what that noise is!" Takashi answered as he turned to face his friend. "You two go on ahead and I'll meet you there later."

Once he said that, Takashi continued on his way through the forest in order to find out the source of the loud noise. As they watched him leave, both Kazuto and Minako were a bit worried as they were unsure what to make of this whole situation. Eventually, the two of them decided to simply trust that their friend knew what he was doing. After all, they both knew that Takashi can be extremely resourceful when he needs to be and that he can take care of himself. With that, they continued on ahead to Professor Oak's Lab.

Meanwhile, Takashi continued his way through the forest as he grew closer to the loud sound that he was hearing. As he did so, the young man could now see sparks of yellow electricity shooting up into the air. Although the sight of this scene puzzled him somewhat, Takashi continued to press forward. Eventually, when he finally arrived at the place where the electricity was coming from, Takashi proceeded to hide tree so that he wouldn't be noticed by anyone. Once he was certain that no one saw him, he took a peek to see what was going on.

To his amazement, Takashi saw a large number of yellow mouse Pokémon all gathered together in one place. He also saw that each of them had bright red circles on their cheeks and that the electricity that he was seeing before was coming from them. Upon getting another good look at them, Takashi's eyes lit up a bit as he was finally able to recognize who these Pokémon were.

"Those are Pikachu…" He said quietly to himself.

Having seen them on TV and read about them in books, Takashi was aware that Pikachu are Electric-Type Pokémon that typically live in forests like the one he's in now. He also learned that they usually use their electric powers to roast up any food that they find too hard to chew normally. Once he saw pieces of burnt and chewed up fruits on the ground around them, Takashi was able to confirm everything that he knew about the Pikachu. Still, even though he happy about that, Takashi was even more happy to see actual Pikachu standing right in front of him.

Even though he's seen plenty of Pikachu on TV before, this was the first time that Takashi is actually observing them in their natural environment. Now that he was able to get a better look at them, he was truly able to see how cute and adorable they all were. Takashi was soon tempted to get a closer look at all of them, but before he could do so he saw something happen amongst the group of Pikachu. This prompted him to stay where he was and observe what was going on.

From what he could tell, Takashi noticed that a fight was beginning to take place involving one of the Pikachu. However, what made this Pikachu different from all the others that he was seeing was that this one had a noticeable tuft of fur on the top of its head. Not only that, but the opponent that this Pikachu was facing wasn't another one of its kind. Instead, it was facing a bigger Mouse Pokémon with brown fur and yellow sacs on its cheek. Once he got a good look at it, Takashi's eyes widen as he knew what it was.

"That's…that's a Raichu!"

Raichu are the evolved form of Pikachu and Takashi read that they have far more aggressive personalities than their pre-evolved form. Also, due to the fact that it was the only one amongst this pack of Pikachu, the young man was able to determine that it was the leader of the entire group. Takashi was also able to tell that both this Raichu and the Pikachu it was battling against were fighting because of food. Apparently, Raichu was hogging all of the fruit that they were eating, leaving this Pikachu without any food of its own to eat.

Although Pikachu was half of the size of Raichu, the little yellow mouse wasn't afraid of its leader and attacked it as hard as it could. However, Raichu was easily able to brush it aside without any type of difficulty whatsoever. As he looked on from a distance, Takashi started to feel bad for Pikachu, but he chose not to interfere as he knew that this wasn't his fight. Eventually, the battle between the two came to an end with Raichu tossing Pikachu hard into a tree. The Mouse Pokémon then went on to ate the last piece of fruit that was on the ground before leading the pack of Pikachu to another section of the forest.

Once Raichu and the pack of Pikachu were gone, Takashi looked on as the Pikachu that was battling just now was slowly getting back up to its feet. He could tell from the expression that was on its face that the Mouse Pokémon was very upset about what happened. Even though this had nothing to do with him, Takashi just couldn't stand by and do nothing for Pikachu. As a result, he looked around the area until he was able to find some fruit that was inside of a brush. He picked it and proceeded to walk over to Pikachu.

"Here you go…" He said as he presented the fruit over to Pikachu. "I'm sure you'll like it."

Pikachu looked up at Takashi with a confused expression on its face. The Mouse Pokémon had no idea who this young man was or why he was hear presenting it with food. All it did know is that it was feeling pretty insulted about what Takashi was doing. Pikachu's pride was already damaged after failing to defeat Raichu and the fact that Takashi was going out of its way to feed it was only damaging its pride even further. Because of that, Pikachu angrily slapped the fruit out of Takashi's hand with its lightning-bolt shaped tail.

Although a bit surprised by Pikachu's act of aggression towards him, Takashi didn't back down from the Electric-Type Pokémon. He then smiled at it before attempted to try and pet its head. Unfortunately, before he could do so, Pikachu angrily growled at Takashi, causing the sacs on its cheek to start sparking with electricity. Seeing that caused Takashi to pull back, which gave Pikachu the opportunity to run away.

Once Pikachu was gone and he was left all alone in the forest, Takashi stood there quietly as he thought about what just transpired. All he wanted to do was show Pikachu some compassion after what happened to it, but it was clear that he didn't truly understand its feelings. He wanted to go look for it, but a thought soon entered his mind and Takashi realized that he was forgetting something extremely important.

"Oh crap! I got to get to Professor Oak's!"

Realizing that he was missing out on picking out his Starter Pokémon, Takashi rushed out of the forest and ran as fast as he could to the Professor's Pokémon Lab. As he ran though, Takashi was still thinking about that Pikachu and he hoped that once he finally got his first Pokémon from Professor Oak that he could find the Mouse Pokémon sometime later and interact with it a bit.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Takashi, Pikachu was busy watching him leave from a distance. Once it saw him, the Mouse Pokémon turned its attention towards the fruit that it knocked out of Takashi's had earlier. Although it didn't really want to, Pikachu was getting really hungry and would need all of its strength for what it was planning to do later. With that in mind, Pikachu reluctantly walked over towards the fruit that Takashi's picked for it and quickly ate it. As soon as it finished, the Electric-Type Pokémon ran deeper into the forest in order to catch up with its pack.

Eventually, after running for about 10 minutes, Takashi finally made it out of the forest and reached Professor Oak's Lab. Even though he was out of breath, the young man couldn't help but form a giant smile on his face. He's now just a few moments away from realizing his dream of becoming a full-fledged Pokémon Trainer. Because of that, he dashed towards the lab as fast as he could, mowing down whatever that happened to be in his way. Unfortunately, because he was being so rash, Takashi failed to notice that someone was exiting out of the lab.

This individual was a young man with short black hair, red eyes, and lightly tanned skin. His attire consisted of a basic black and red jacket that covered a darker red shirt and dark grey jeans. He also had somewhat of a fierce facial expression, almost like he didn't care about anything other than himself. So, when he saw Takashi heading towards at a break-neck speed, he promptly sidestepped out of the way and watched as he slammed face-first into the wall of the lab.

"Ow…" Takashi said as he held his face. "That…hurt…"

As Takashi tried to shake off the pain that he was feeling, the young man that was next to him simply looked with a blank of expression on his face. By the time Takashi recovered and he got a good look at him, he instantly realized that he was about to run into this individual and felt bad about what he was about to do.

"Oh…I'm sorry," He said in an embarrassed tone of voice. "I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Obviously…" The young man replied in a condescending tone. "Next time don't get in my way. I have far better things to do than to deal with fools like you."

Takashi's eyes widen a bit after hearing this person call him a fool and he soon started glaring at him rather fiercely. However, the individual wasn't fazed at all and simply ignored Takashi as he prepared to leave. As he started to walk though, Takashi noticed that he had a PokéBall, a red and white capsule used to contain Pokémon, grasped in his hand. Upon seeing it, he quickly put the pieces together and realized that this young man must've gotten his Starter Pokémon from Professor Oak.

"So…What kind of Pokémon did you get?" Takashi asked him.

"What does it matter to you, kid?" The young man replied.

"Just curious…"

The young man looked at Takashi for a few moments as he debated whether or not he should answer his question or not. He could tell from what Takashi is wearing that he was planning on getting his Starter Pokémon from the Professor as well. However, from his own point of view, he believed that Takashi wouldn't make for a good Pokémon Trainer, probably only being a mediocre one at the very best. As a result, he decided to say the following to Takashi as he began to walk away.

"I'll say this…" He started off. "It's a Pokémon that you could never train, no matter how hard you tried."

Upon hearing that, Takashi started to snap and the anger that was showing on his face before quickly became even fiercer. When he saw that, the young man simply snickered and continued on his way so that he could begin his own Pokémon Journey. Before he could get too far though, Takashi ran up and soon blocked his way.

"Now you listen here!" He told him. "I'm going to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master one day! I'll become so good that I'll be able to train any Pokémon that I capture, no matter how impossible it may seem. You hear me…I'm going to be the very best, that no one ever was!"

As he watched as Takashi glared at him with a determined look on his face, the young man snickered at him one more time. He then turned his back on Takashi and began taking his leave. However, before he got too far, he made sure that Takashi heard the following.

"The day you become a Pokémon Master…is the day Hell freezes over."

With that, the young man continued on his way to begin his own Pokémon Journey while Takashi simply glared at him as he left. Every fiber of his being wanted to go after this new Trainer, but he ultimately decided against it. Takashi knew that if he truly wanted to get back at him, then he would need to become a strong Pokémon Trainer in his own right and defeat him the right way. As there was only one way to do that, Takashi turned around and proceeded to enter Professor Oak's Lab.

Upon entering the lab, Takashi examined the place for a moment and was quite impressed by what he saw. As the structure also acted as Professor Oak's home, it had a sizeable living room as well as a highly advance lab on the inside. From what he could tell, this was the perfect place to research on any type of Pokémon. For a moment, Takashi was tempted to spend some more time looking around the lab, examining all the things that he could find. However, he quickly decided against that as he knew the real reason why he was here.

"Excuse me…!" He said, trying to call out to someone. "Professor Oak…it's me, Takashi. I'm here to get my Starter Pokémon!"

Once he called out to the Professor, Takashi waited for him to appear as he stood in the living room of his lab. After a few minutes of waiting, he was tempted to call out to him again. But, before he could do so, the young man soon started to hear something coming towards him. As the sound slowly grew louder, Takashi recognized the noise as footsteps and wondered if they were Professor Oak's. Unfortunately, when the individual in question finally appeared, Takashi saw that it was Minako and not the Professor.

"Hey Minako…" He said to his friend. "Do you know where Professor Oak is?"

"He's in the back with Kazuto," Minako answered. "Follow me and I'll take you there."

Shaking his head in agreement, Takashi proceeded to follow Minako as she led him to where both Kazuto and Professor Oak were. As they walked through the lab, Takashi noticed a PokéBall resting on Minako's belt buckle and knew right away that it was her Starter Pokémon. Seeing his friend have a Pokémon only made him even more eager to have one of his own, but Takashi soon noticed that Minako didn't seem all that excited for some reason. Concerned about this, he was about to ask her what was wrong, but stopped himself when they arrived at their destination.

Upon reaching another section of the lab, Takashi saw both Kazuto and Professor Oak standing next to a desk. Like with Minako, Takashi saw that Kazuto also had a PokéBall and that it was probably his Starter Pokémon. However, like with her, Kazuto seemed to have a mixed expression on his face. Just seeing that look on both of his best friends faces concerned Takashi a bit, but his mind was taken off them for a moment as Professor Oak walked towards him.

"Hello Takashi…" Oak said with a small smile on his face. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here, Professor," Takashi replied. "I've been waiting a long time for this day…and now I'm finally ready to begin my Pokémon Journey. So, when do I receive my Starter Pokémon?"

Like with Kazuto and Minako, the smile that was on Professor Oak's face slowly faded once Takashi mention getting his Starter Pokémon. When he noticed this, Takashi was starting to worry that something was wrong. Before he could ask what it was however, Professor Oak proceeded to grab a red object from out of his coat pocket and hand it over to Takashi.

"Before I do anything, I want you to have this Takashi," Oak said to him. "This is a PokéDex and it has information on nearly every Pokémon that's been discovered in the world. It also acts as your Pokémon License, so make sure that you keep on you at all times and don't lose it."

"Thanks Professor…" Takashi said as he took the device. He then examined it for a moment before placing it into his pocket. "I'm sure that it'll help me out a lot. Now…I would really like to receive my Starter Pokémon now."

Once again, Takashi noticed that Professor Oak didn't seem to be all that eager to give him a Starter Pokémon. This caused the feeling of worry that he was having earlier to slowly grow even worse. The young man was about to say something to the Professor, but stopped when he saw Oak lean next to one of his desks for a moment. He then looked Takashi directly in eyes and said something that he didn't really want to say.

"I'm sorry Takashi…" He started off. "But unfortunately, I don't have any more Starter Pokémon to hand out today. I just gave out my last one shortly before you arrived here."

Upon hearing this, Takashi continued to have a silent expression on his face. However, as the realization that he couldn't get a Starter Pokémon began to dawn on him, his expression quickly changed to one of extreme disappointment. Ever since he was a little boy, he's been waiting for the day that he would finally be allowed to have a Pokémon of his own. Unfortunately, that won't be the case today and there was only one thing that Takashi wanted to know at this moment.

"But how can that…be?" He said in utter disbelief.

"The Professor tried waiting for you," Kazuto said as he walked over towards his friend. "But then another new Trainer came in and requested a Pokémon for himself. Professor Oak couldn't just turned him away empty handed, so he gave him the final Pokémon that he had left."

"I'm sorry Takashi," Minako followed as she gently placed her hand upon her shoulder. "But what took you so long when you entered the forest? I thought you said you would be right back."

As his mind tried to comprehend everything that he was hearing, Takashi finally realized that it was because of his time looking at the pack of Pikachu that he was delayed for so long. Not only that, but Takashi also realized that the male Trainer that he met shortly before entering the lab was probably the same one that took Professor Oak's final Starter Pokémon. It's because of all of these things that Takashi wouldn't be able to get a Pokémon for himself and the young man slowly realized that he had no one to blame for this but himself.

While Kazuto and Minako tried comforting Takashi, who looked very disappointed, Professor Oak looked on and couldn't help but feel bad for the young man. Having known him ever since he was a little boy, Oak knew how much Takashi has been waiting eagerly for this moment and how passionate he is about being a Pokémon Trainer. He also knew how much Takashi loved Pokémon themselves, so seeing him so sad like this broke the Professor's heart a little bit.

"Please don't be sad Takashi," He said to him. "I may not have any more Starter Pokémon today, but I'm scheduled to receive a brand new set by the end of the week. All you have to do is wait a little bit longer and soon you'll be out on your own Pokémon Journey."

Takashi heard what the Professor had to say, but it pretty much fell on deaf ears. The young man was still too upset, both with himself and about this situation to really care. Upon seeing this, Professor Oak couldn't really say anything else to comfort him and simply looked on with a saddened expression on his face. Soon, the group of 3 Trainers went on to say their thanks and goodbyes to Professor Oak and proceeded to make their way out of his Pokémon Lab.

Once they were back outside, Takashi and his friends began making their way to the edge of Pallet Town. The plan was, after they receive their Pokémon, to leave Pallet Town from here and begin their Pokémon Journeys together. Unfortunately, as Takashi still doesn't have a Pokémon of his own yet, that plan simply couldn't take place. This prompted both Kazuto and Minako to wonder if they should hold off from starting their Journeys and wait for their friend to get his own Pokémon first. However, upon reaching their destination, Takashi wouldn't have any of that.

"Well guys…" He said as he looked at his friends. "I guess this it. You two should probably head out now…"

"But Takashi…" Minako said, still noticing the saddened look on his face. "What about you?"

"Yeah man…" Kazuto followed. "I thought we all agreed that they would all leave on our Journeys together? It wouldn't be right for us to go on ahead and leave you behind."

After hearing what his best friends had to say to him, Takashi immediately understood where both of them were coming from. If the situation was reversed, Takashi wouldn't want to leave on his Journey until either Kazuto or Minako finally obtained a Pokémon of their own. However, that simply wasn't the case and although Takashi was upset, he would be even more upset if he held back his friends any longer.

"Look guys…" He told the both of them. "I'll be okay. You two both have your own dreams that you're trying to achieve on your Journeys and I don't want to keep you from that. Besides, just because I'll be starting off a little bit later doesn't mean that we won't see each other again. Trust me…by the time you guys see me again, I'll have plenty of Pokémon by my side and be one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a Pokémon Master."

Once he said that, Takashi let out a big smile, hoping to assure both Kazuto and Minako that everything would be alright, regardless of what happens to him. Although they were still reluctant to leave him behind, the two of them knew that they would be doing more harm than good for Takashi if they continued to stay here in Pallet Town. To that end, the two of them ultimately agreed to leave home and begin their Pokémon Journey. So, after Kazuto shook Takashi's hand and Minako gave him a hug, the two new Trainers proceeded to walk the path out of Pallet Town.

Takashi continued waving goodbye to his friends, trying his best to keep his composure in front of them. As soon as he couldn't see them anymore, the young man stopped waving his hand and soon placed his head down. Then, as his hair began to hide his face, Takashi slowly started to shed tears. He then turned around and slowly began making his way back to home.

* * *

"Takashi…Takashi, it's time to eat…"

Shortly before her son returned home, Haruka Nakamura was busy preparing the gift that she was planning to give to Takashi before he left to go on his Pokémon Journey. The gift really meant a lot to her and she wanted to make sure everything was ready once Takashi entered the house with his brand new Starter Pokémon. Unfortunately, Haruka's celebration was quickly put on hold when an extremely upset Takashi finally returned and he explained to her what happened. Once he did so, Takashi walked away and went into his room and politely asked his mother not to bother him for a while.

It's been roughly 7 hours since then and Takashi still hasn't come out of his room. Worried about her son, Haruka went out of her way to prepare some of his favorite meals, hoping that would cheer him up. However, she received no response and after thinking about it for a moment, she realized that she should have expected as much. Haruka knew how much being a Pokémon Trainer meant to Takashi and the fact that he couldn't begin his Journey, even if it meant waiting for a few more days, truly hurt him. Even though she was his mother, Haruka knew that there were some things that she couldn't help out with and this was one of them.

As Haruka continued thinking about Takashi, a small Pokémon soon joined her inside of the kitchen. It was an extremely beautiful creature with white and pink fur and bright blue eyes. However, the most amazing attribute about this Pokémon was the extremely long ribbon-like feelers that extended from out of its neck. When Haruka turned her head and saw the Pokémon next to her, a small smile appeared on her face as she knelt down and began petting its head.

"Hey there Sylveon," She said to it.

Sylveon gently nodded its head towards Haruka as the latter continued to pet its head. Having been with each other since Haruka was just a little girl, the two of them have an extreme strong bond and thus are always there for each other whenever one of them was upset about something. Today was no different as Sylveon could sense the sadness that was in Haruka's heart and proceeded to comfort her by taking one its feelers and wrapping it around her right arm.

"Thanks…but I'm very worried about Takashi. Hope that he feels better soon."

Sylveon nodded its head in agreement. Just like how its known Haruka since she was a little girl, Sylveon has known Takashi since he was just a baby. Not only that, but it also knew how much he loved Pokémon, with Sylveon being the first Pokémon that he's ever interacted with. Because of that, it was just as concerned for him as Haruka was and it also wondered what it could do for him.

As Haruka and Sylveon continue to think about this, Takashi was busy staring out the window in his bedroom, thinking quietly to himself. As he does so, the young man was wondering how Minako and Kazuto were doing. Were they able to make it to the next town? Did they manage to catch any wild Pokémon? In the end, Takashi didn't know the answers to those questions and that bothered him? However, what bothered him even more was the fact that he couldn't experience any of those things and that ate him up inside.

While he continues to think about that, the young man looked up into the sky and noticed that the clouds were quickly growing darker. Takashi could tell right away that a pretty bad thunderstorm was getting ready to make its way towards Pallet Town. At first, he had intention of doing anything about the storm as he would alright as long as he stayed inside of his house. But, as the clouds continued to grow darker and darker, Takashi saw something that surprised him greatly.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, he saw a large bolt of lightning come for the forest right next to Pallet Town. However, what surprised him the most was the direction that the lightning came from. Instead of coming down from the sky, the lightning instead came up from the ground. As far as he could tell, there was no way that a bolt of electricity could naturally come up from the ground. Something strange was going on and for some reason that he couldn't quite explain, Takashi felt that he had to find out what was going on here.

To that end, Takashi quickly made his way downstairs and suddenly dashed out of his house. By the time both Haruka and Sylveon realized what was going on, Takashi was already entering the forest. Once he did so, he saw the lightning grow even more intense as multiple bolts were shooting up into the sky. Even so, Takashi didn't falter as he felt what was happening was something that he had to experience. Eventually, just as the rain started falling down from the sky, Takashi finally arrived at the site of the lightning strikes.

To his surprise, Takashi saw that the lightning was coming from the pack of Pikachu that he encountered earlier in the day, specifically the Pikachu with the tuft of fur on its head. The little Mouse Pokémon was busy engaging in a fierce battle against the leader of the pack, the Raichu it had problems with. Both Pokémon were exchanging a powerful barrage of electric attacks against each other, the resulting clash of which is the cause of the bolts of lightning shooting up high into the air.

As Takashi continued to look on at this scene, trying to figure out what was going on here, Pikachu quickly dashed towards Raichu has fast as it possibly could. Unfortunately, Raichu was able to easily avoid the attack and respond by punching Pikachu with a powerful fist of electricity. The attack was so great that it sent Pikachu flying into a nearby tree, actually denting it upon impact. Even so, despite being gravely injured, Pikachu refused to back down and quickly charged towards Raichu again.

While looking on at this scene, Takashi was quickly becoming concerned with Pikachu's well being. It was obvious that Raichu was dominating this battle, easily blocking all of Pikachu's attacks and responding was devastating counters. With each blow, Pikachu was taking on more and more punishment and the Mouse Pokémon was running the risk of getting a permanent injury. Takashi wanted to step in and stop this battle, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He saw that Pikachu was determined to finish this battle and had no intention of stopping until it was over. It's because of that, Takashi couldn't bring himself to stop the Mouse Pokémon, even though he really wanted too.

Eventually, as the battle was beginning to draw to a close, Raichu knocks Pikachu back into another tree with its tail. It then began to approach the yellow Mouse Pokémon as it slowly started picking itself back up. By the time Pikachu did get back up to its feet, Raichu was gathering energy within its mouth and was about to release it. Although Pikachu saw this happening, it was simply too weak to attempt to avoid the attack. As a result, Raichu launch a powerful beam at Pikachu that sent it flying several feet back, landing hard on the cold and wet ground.

"…Oh my god…" Takashi said silently as he looked on in disbelief.

Raichu looked on as Pikachu laid motionless on the ground. After about a minute of waiting, the Mouse Pokémon finally realized that the battle was over and decided that the time had come for it to leave. With that, Raichu started walking away from the area and it was soon followed by all the other Pikachu of its pack. By the time all of them were gone, the only ones left were Takashi and the Pikachu that Raichu had soundly defeated.

As the rain continued to fall down from the sky, Takashi slowly walked towards the injured Pikachu and stared down at it with a shocked expression on his face. He couldn't believe what he just saw and he couldn't understand why it happened. All he did know is that this Pikachu was in need of medical attention and if something was done soon it could die from its injuries. Refusing to allow that to happen, Takashi picked up Pikachu and held it in his arms. He then rushed out of the forest, making his way towards the one person who could help him, Professor Oak.

"Don't worry Pikachu! You're going to be alright…I promise!"

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter Preview**_

 _Refusing to let a Pokémon die on his watch, Takashi Nakamura rushes over to Professor Oak's lab in order to help the injured Pikachu. However, even if Pikachu does make a full recovery will it be grateful to the young man that saved its life or resentful? Also, when Professor Oak finally receives his next batch of Starter Pokémon, which one will Takashi choose to finally begin his Pokémon Journey with?_

 _Next Time on Pokémon – Thunder Yellow, Chapter 2: An Electrifying Beginning – Part 2_

 _ **Announcements**_

 **Spirit Reader:** _Hello everyone, this is Spirit Reader. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of my newest story. It's a reboot of my previous Pokémon story and I really worked hard on it so I would really appreciate it if you would send me a review and let me know what you thought about it. Also, as this is a reboot, I will soon be deleting my other Pokémon story, Trials to Becoming a Master, in order to avoid confusion._

 _Well, that's it for now. Once again, I want to thank all of you were taking the time to read this story. Until next time this is Spirit Reader, signing off!_


	2. Chapter 2

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 2:** _An Electrifying Beginning – Part 2_

* * *

"Wait…so he just left the house and he didn't tell you why?"

"That's right…I'm getting really worried about him, especially because of how bad the weather is outside."

As a bad thunderstorm continued to make its way through the small town of Pallet, Haruka Nakamura was currently as the Pokémon Research Lab of her good friend, Professor Oak. Having seen her son, Takashi, rush outside for no apparent reason, Haruka became extremely concerned for him and hoped that he decided to come to the Professor's residence. Unfortunately, Professor Oak revealed that not only did Takashi not arrive here, but he had no idea where the young man was. This worried Haruka greatly, especially because of the state of mind her son was in right now.

Earlier today, Takashi set out with his friends Minako and Kazuto in order to receive their Starter Pokémon and officially become Pokémon Trainers. Unfortunately, as they were making their way over to the Professor's Lab, Takashi got distracted by something and told his friends to go on without him. This turned out to be a bad move on his part as Takashi's actions delayed him significantly, causing him to arrive at the Lab late. Not only that, but by the time he did arrive, Professor Oak didn't have any more Starter Pokémon to hand out to him at this moment in time.

The realization that he wouldn't be able to get a Starter Pokémon, let alone begin his Pokémon Journey, saddened Takashi greatly and Haruka was well aware of that. Even though he tried to put on a brave face, such as being happy for his friends and allowing them to leave on their respective journeys, it was obvious that Takashi wanted to go with them too. This left him extremely disheartened and Haruka felt just as bad as there wasn't much she could do to make him feel better.

As Haruka continued to spout her concern for her only son, Professor Oak quickly sympathized for both her's and Takashi's predicament. Having known the both of them for a long a time, Oak was well aware how much this day meant to Takashi and he felt really bad not being able to give him a Pokémon to start his journey with. Even though his next batch of Starter Pokémon will arrive within the next couple of days, Oak wondered if there was anything he could do in order to make things up to Takashi. Before he could think of something however, both Professor Oak and Haruka heard the doorbell ring and former proceeded to make his way towards the door.

"Yes," He said. "I'm coming."

Once Professor Oak made his way to the front door of his research lab, he opened it and was surprised to see who was on the other side. When Haruka looked on as well, she was just as surprised as the Professor. The person who was on the other side of the door was none other than a completely drenched Takashi, who was busy holding an injured Pikachu in both of his arms.

"Help…" Takashi said as he looked up towards Professor Oak. "Please help…"

Upon seeing the desperate look on Takashi's face, Professor Oak could tell right away that the young man was extremely concerned for the welfare of this particular Pikachu. Because of that, he didn't waste any time and quickly helped the both of them inside. As soon as they were, the Professor quickly took Pikachu into his arms and carried the Mouse Pokémon into another section of his lab so that it could get treated. As he watched them leave, Takashi's eyes remained fixated on Pikachu, looking on at it with a concerned look on his face.

Shortly after Professor Oak left the room, Haruka slowly made her way up to Takashi and watched as he looked back at her. She could instantly tell from the look in his eyes that not only was he concerned about this Pikachu, but he also saw something that really impacted him as well. Haruka wasn't sure if what Takashi saw was a good thing or a bad thing, but the one thing that she was sure of is that it was troubling her son. Because of that, she grabbed a towel that was next to her and gave to Takashi before proceeding to comfort him.

"C'mon…let's get you all warmed up." She said with a kind smile.

Nodding his head softly, Takashi complied with his mother's request as he took the towel she gave to him and placed it upon his head. He then took the time to take off his wet clothes and hang them next to the fireplace in the living room so that they could get dry. Once he did that, the young man went on to put on some spare clothes before sitting on a chair and thinking quietly to himself. As he did so, Haruka looked at her son with a silent expression on her face.

While looking at Takashi, Haruka wondered what she could do in order to help him feel better. It was obvious from the look on his face that not being a Pokémon Trainer was the last thing on Takashi's mind at the moment. In fact, Haruka could tell that her son was more focused on the Pikachu he brought here. She was about to say something to him about that, but Haruka was stopped in her tracks when Takashi suddenly spoke up to her.

"Mom…" He started off. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"…Sure sweetie," Haruka replied. "You can talk to me about anything."

After gently nodding his head at her, Takashi went on to talk to his mother about what he witnessed while he was outside. He mentioned how he encountered this particular Pikachu earlier and how it wasn't getting along with the Raichu who was the leader of its pack. Takashi also talked about the battle the two of them had and how Raichu ruthlessly beat down Pikachu before leaving the other Pikachu, effectively abandoning this one. As he continued to talk about this, Takashi's hands were beginning to shake slightly as thinking about all of that was really bothering him.

As she was listening to Takashi's story, Haruka was beginning to understand what was troubling her son so much. This was the first time he's encountered such a large number of wild Pokémon before and, because of his inexperience, it was clear that he didn't know how they sometimes act when they're not under the ownership of a Trainer. Because of that, what Takashi witnessed was something both very surprising to him, but confusing to him as well. Haruka understood what Takashi was feeling and proceeded to offer him so words of advice.

"Listen sweetie…" She started off. "I know what you saw was very shocking, but that's sometimes how life works. When Pokémon live together in packs, there are times when conflicts occur between them. The battle you saw between Pikachu and Raichu was probably one of those times."

"…I get that," Takashi replied to her. "But still…why did Raichu have to take the battle so far? Not only that, but why did it and all the other Pikachu have to abandon this one? I mean…weren't they friends?"

Takashi looked down towards his hands again and watched as they started shaking a bit faster. Being someone who cherishes his friends dearly, Takashi simply couldn't understand why Raichu would do that to Pikachu. The beating it gave the little mouse was horrible and the way it and all the other Pikachu abandoned it was even worse. However, what bothered Takashi the most about the whole thing was inability to do anything about it.

Ever since he was a little boy, Takashi made a vow to himself to not only be a Trainer who was strong, but also one who would help out anyone in need, whether they be people or Pokémon. Unfortunately, when that time came, the young man couldn't do anything but watch. Takashi was ashamed of himself because of this and a small part of him started to wonder if he had what it takes to be a Trainer, especially if this was how he was going to act.

Soon, as Takashi continued to think about all this, Haruka gently took her hand and placed it upon his shoulder. When he looked up at her, the young man saw his mother give him a warm smile. Ever since he was little, Haruka's smile always made Takashi feel better and today was no different. Once she saw her son cheer up a little, Haruka started talking to him again.

"Takashi…I don't really know why Raichu abandoned Pikachu, but there is one thing that I do know. What happened wasn't your fault and you have no reason to blame yourself for it. Also, regardless of what anyone may think, the fact you went out of your way to help this Pikachu makes you more than qualified to be a Pokémon Trainer. Don't you ever forget that…and don't let anyone tell you any different."

Once she finished saying that to him, Haruka smiled at Takashi one more time before taking her hand and gently rubbing the top of his head. Although he felt slightly embarrassed when she did that to him, Takashi was glad that his mother did that as it allowed him to get over his doubts, at least temporarily. The two of them then shared a quick embrace before turning around and seeing Professor Oak walking towards the both of them.

"I've just finished tending to Pikachu's injuries…" He said to the both of them. "I'm glad to say that it'll be just fine. All it needs is a few days of rest."

As soon as he heard that Pikachu would be alright, Takashi let out a huge sigh of relief. He was glad that despite all the injuries that the little Pokémon sustained during its battle against Raichu, none of them were permanent. When Haruka saw how relieved her son was she went on to let out a kind smile, happy that Takashi was continuing to feel better.

"Now that's taken care of…" Professor Oak continued. "Can one of you tell me what's exactly going on here?"

Nodding his head in agreement, Takashi went on to explain to Professor Oak everything that transpired when he made his way into the forest. As he listened to the story, Oak slowly started to understand what happened to Pikachu and why Takashi was so worried about it. Having been researching Pokémon for a vast majority of his life, the Professor had a pretty good idea on some of them tend to act, especially when they tend to live in packs. Because of that, once Takashi finished his story, Oak went on to give the young man the answer that he was looking for.

"I see…" He started off. "If that's what happened, then odds are that Pikachu attempted to defeat Raichu so that it could take leadership of their pack."

"Huh?" Takashi replied, confused by Oak's response. "What do you by taking leadership?"

"Well you see, when Pokémon live in packs the strongest one among them tends to act as the leader of the others. In this case, that Raichu was leader the leader of all those Pikachu. According to your story, the Pikachu that you saved wasn't getting along with Raichu and so it probably decided to battle against it in order to become the new leader. Unfortunately, as you obviously noticed, things didn't go well for Pikachu and it lost that battle."

After Professor Oak finished talking for a moment, Takashi took a moment to think about the battle between Pikachu and Raichu once more. Having just learned that the battle wasn't as baseless as he initially believed it to be, Takashi was starting to understand the situation a bit better. Even so, there was still something else that was still troubling him and as he continued to think about it, the Professor started talking to him again.

"Sadly for Pikachu, defeat in a battle for leadership…also means banishment," He continued on. "You see, if the challenger loses a battle then the rest of the pack will no longer have any faith in its abilities. They fell like that they will hold them down…so they leave it behind and go about their business. It's harsh, but when you're living in the wild it's usually survival of the fittest."

"Oh…I see…" Takashi softly replied.

When the Professor finished his explanation, he looked on and watched as Takashi was busy thinking quietly to himself. Even without having to say anything to him, Oak could tell that Takashi was thinking about Pikachu again. Despite knowing the risks involved, Pikachu still challenged Raichu for to battle. Not only that, but the Mouse Pokémon kept on fighting despite being beaten into an inch of its life. Takashi couldn't help but feel impressed by Pikachu's resolve, but the young man still felt very bad as Pikachu could no longer return to its friends.

While the group continued to stand around in the living room they suddenly all jumped up when they heard something very loud sound off in the other room. At first none of them knew what the cause of that noise was, but upon hearing it again Takashi started to recognize something about it. Listening closely, Takashi was able to hear the sound of electricity. Since it was storming outside, there was only one other thing the noise could be and proceeded to rush over to another section of the lab. When both Professor Oak and Haruka saw him leave the two of them quickly followed after.

Eventually, the group made their way into the medical lab and they all saw what the cause of the noise they heard. As Takashi suspected, the noise was coming from Pikachu, who has just woken up and was both confused and angered by its current surroundings. This was due to it being still somewhat delirious as a result of the intense battle it went through, causing Pikachu to see things that weren't really there. Because of that, the little mouse started striking everything that it could see with its electrical powers.

"Pikachu!" Takashi called out to it. "Pikachu, stop it!"

Pikachu managed to hear Takashi's voice and proceeded to turn its head towards him. Unfortunately, the Mouse Pokémon wasn't able to tell who was it looking at and started growling at him as a result. Pikachu then went on to unleash another bolt of electricity that made its way towards Takashi, which he managed to avoid thanks to Professor Oak's help.

"Stand down, Takashi!" Oak told him. "It's clear that Pikachu is in a confused state of mind. It won't listen to reason no matter what you say!"

Pikachu continued attacking everything within the lab as Takashi, Professor Oak, and Haruka tried their best to avoid its destructive rampage. As he did so, Takashi couldn't help but feel bad for Pikachu. It was clear that Pikachu had no real idea what it was attacking to its delirious state and was only acting on instinct. If things continued as they were, then it would only be a matter of item before the Mouse Pokémon ended up injuring itself even further. Once that happened, Pikachu could possibly end up dying from its injuries and that was something Takashi could not only to happen.

To that end, Takashi got up and slowly made his way towards Pikachu as it continued shocking everything in sight. As his mother and Professor Oak both looked on with concerned look on their faces, Takashi finally got close enough to finally reach the electric mouse. Once he did, he slowly bent down and attempted to pet it.

"It's okay Pikachu…" He said as he continued to get closer. "It's going to be okay."

Pikachu slowly turned its head and watched as Takashi continued making his way towards it. However, just like before, Pikachu was unable to recognize who he was and started growling at him as sparks of electricity started shooting from its red cheeks. Although frightened by this at first, Takashi held his ground and soon got close enough to gently touch Pikachu's head. He then smiled at it, hoping that seeing an unthreatening face would calm it down. However, that simply wasn't the case.

In a blind rage, Pikachu bit Takashi's hand as hard as it possibly could. Once it had him in his grasp, the Mouse Pokémon went on to shock him with a massive volt of electricity. The pain that he was feeling was so intense that caused Takashi to drop down to the ground and scream in agony for a moment.

"Takashi!" Haruka yelled out of concerned.

Both Haruka and Professor Oak were stunned by what they were seeing and wondered what they could do to help Takashi before things could get any worse for him. Soon though, Oak noticed a set of rubber gloves sitting on a counter. As rubber is a natural insulator, Oak could use them to grab Pikachu while protecting himself in the process. Because of that, the Professor quickly made his way over towards the counter, grabbed the gloves, and put them on. He then prepared to make his way towards Takashi and Pikachu, but stopped when he saw something very surprising.

Despite being in an incredible amount of pain, Takashi was holding his ground. Not only that, but the young man even used this opportunity to grab Pikachu and hold it gently into his arms. When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon was shocked and soon stopped attacking with its electricity. Once it did, it finally managed to get a good look at him and was again shocked to see that the young man was smiling down at it.

"You're…you're going to be…okay…" He said as he tried to shake off the pain. "You're going to be alright…Pikachu."

As Pikachu continued looking at Takashi's smile, the electric mouse suddenly felt a sense of ease and security overwhelm its body. This caused Pikachu to feel extremely weak and it soon fell to sleep right in Takashi's arms. As it did so, Takashi simply looked on at Pikachu with a small smile still on his face.

With the problem now averted, Haruka instantly made her way over to Takashi and checked to see if he was alright. Although he was still in a lot of pain, Takashi insisted to his mother that he was fine and slowly got up from the ground under his own power. Once he did, the young man saw that his mother was both angry and upset with him for doing something so reckless. Even so, the young man had no regrets as he knew that this was something that he just had to do.

Meanwhile, Professor Oak took a moment to look over the destruction that Pikachu caused before turning his attention towards the Mouse Pokémon. Oak had no idea what he was going to do with it as if he left Pikachu here with him then it ran the chance of causing even more damage and possibly hurting some of the other Pokémon that were staying here with him. On the other hand however, Oak also knew that in its current condition, Pikachu wouldn't last day in the wild. It was a problematic situation, one which he wasn't sure he could solve.

"What to do…?" He said quietly to himself.

As the Professor continued pondering his options, Takashi looked at him for a moment and had a pretty good idea on what he was thinking about. He then turned his attention back towards Pikachu and watched as it continued to sleep in his arms. While thinking to himself, Takashi suddenly got an idea that could benefit both Professor Oak and Pikachu and thus he turned his head back towards the former.

"Professor…I have a favor to ask of you," He said.

"A favor…What is it, Takashi?" Oak replied.

While waiting for the young man to tell him about his request, Professor Oak noticed something in Takashi's eyes. Unlike earlier today, where he looked rather defeated and disappointed, Takashi's eyes showed a glint of determination and strength. When he saw that look, the Professor could tell right away that whatever was on Takashi's mind, it was something that he was very serious about. Because of that, he listened closely as Takashi spoke to him.

"Until Pikachu feels better would you mind…that I take care of it?"

* * *

"Stop Pikachu! Please, you have to stop!"

It's been 3 days since Takashi Nakamura asked for Professor Oak's permission to take care of Pikachu until it finally recovered from its injuries. At first, the Professor was very reluctant to do this as Takashi didn't have any Pokémon of his own to protect himself with and it was unknown whether or not Pikachu would could problems for him. However, upon seeing the look in his eyes, Oak realized that Takashi was still going to do this, regardless if the Professor agreed to it or not. With that in mind, and wanting to confirm something that he was feeling, Professor Oak ultimately agreed to the request.

Unfortunately, things weren't going quite well for Takashi once he brought Pikachu with him over to his house. As soon as the Mouse Pokémon woke up, it soon started all kinds of problems for the young man. It tore up furniture, scratched up posts, and crewed up wires. It was a complete mess and as he continued to try and stop Pikachu from causing any more problems, Takashi started wondering to himself what he was going to do.

However, Pikachu wasn't the only thing that Takashi had to worry about. As the days rolled by and Pikachu's attitude refuses to change, Takashi looked on and saw that Haruka was becoming fed up with this. Although her Sylveon tried its best to calm her down, Haruka was very upset about all of this. Not only was Pikachu destroying her home, but Takashi was doing a pretty poor job in taking care of it like he said he would. Being her son, Takashi knew that Haruka was the last person he wanted to make angry and that he needed to take care of things before she decided to get involved.

With that in mind, Takashi tried his best to catch up with Pikachu as the electric mouse was busy running around the house again. He was trying to put new bandages on Pikachu earlier today, but the Mouse Pokémon wouldn't have any of that. To that end, Pikachu took the fresh bandages Takashi was holding and wrapped them around the young man. It then ran away as Takashi tried his best to chase after it. Eventually, as he continued to run after Pikachu, Takashi ended up tripping over the bandages that were covering him and fell down onto the ground.

"Oww…." He said as he reeled from the pain. "That hurt…"

Sitting up from the ground, Takashi looked up and saw Pikachu staring at him from a distance. The electric mouse was laughing at him, highly amused by the display that it was seeing. Just seeing it laugh at him was a crushing blow to Takashi's confidence and it caused him to doubt whether or not he could actually do this. Not only that, but if couldn't take care of one little Pokémon like Pikachu then what chance did he have when the time came for him to become a Pokémon Trainer. This made him feel awful, which only fueled Pikachu's amusement.

While this was going on however, Pikachu failed to notice something very important. The Mouse Pokémon was directly under a shelf that was holding a vase. Not only that, but the vase was barely standing on the shelf as all the commotion that Takashi and Pikachu were causing loosened it. From way it was currently positioned, one more push would be enough to knock it down and as Pikachu continued laughing, it accidently hit the shelf and caused to the vase to start falling.

When Takashi looked up and saw this, the young man's eyes suddenly widen and from his perspective, the area around him was moving in slow motion. If that vase continued falling where it was, then not only would it hit Pikachu but it would also cause some serious damage to the little Pokémon. Just thinking about that caused something within Takashi to snap and he soon started running towards Pikachu as fast as he could.

"Pikachu…Look Out!"

When Pikachu heard Takashi calling out to him, the Mouse Pokémon looked up and saw the vase that was making its way towards it. When it saw it, Pikachu tried its best to get out of the way but wasn't fast enough to do so. Fortunately, before anything could happen to it, Takashi was able to get there and managed to extend his arm out enough to push Pikachu out of the way. Once the vase hit the floor it was smashed into several pieces, a few of which scratched Takashi's arm and left cheek, causing them to start bleeding.

"Takashi, what going over there?!" Haruka asked from another room.

Rushing over to where Takashi was, both Haruka and Sylveon arrived and were shocked by what they both saw. A broken vase was lying on the ground, a pretty cut up Takashi was lying on the ground, and Pikachu was simply looking on at him with a confused look on its face. As Haruka tried to figure out what happened, Sylveon was busy looking at Pikachu with a ferocious look on its face. The Pokémon loved Takashi, just as much as it loved its Trainer, and seeing him hurt like this really set it off. Not only that, but seeing Pikachu here caused Sylveon to believe that the electric mouse was responsible for Takashi's injuries, causing it to try and attack it.

However, just before Sylveon could strike Pikachu, Takashi got up and held onto the pink and white Pokémon. Both Sylveon and Haruka were shocked by this scene with the latter wondering what her son was doing. Eventually, Takashi managed to calm Sylveon down and convince it not to harm Pikachu. He then made his way towards the Mouse Pokémon and extended his uninjured arm out to it. At first, Pikachu believed that Takashi was about to hit it, but was shocked to see that Takashi went on to gently pet it instead.

"Thank goodness…" He said with a small smile. "I'm glad that you aren't hurt Pikachu. That would've been really bad."

As Takashi continued petting the top of Pikachu's head, the little Mouse didn't know what to make of this. For the last couple of days, Pikachu has been causing Takashi nothing but trouble; attacking him, messing up his house, and even causing his mother to become very angry with him. Even now, Pikachu's actions not only resulted in a broken vase, but also caused Takashi to suffer an injury as well. Despite that however, Takashi wasn't mad and was simply relieved that it was alright, shocking Pikachu greatly.

Eventually, Haruka stepped in and helped her injured son off of the floor. She then glanced at a still confused Pikachu for a moment before taking Takashi into the kitchen and proceeded to clean his wound. As she did so, Haruka noticed that both injuries were pretty deep and there was a pretty good chance that they could leave a scar. While this concerned her greatly, Takashi didn't seem too worried about it, which piqued her interest somewhat.

"Takashi…" She said as she wrapped his hand with a bandage. "Why'd you do that? Look what happened. Don't you realize that your injuries could've been a lot worse than what they are?!"

"I know mom…" Takashi answered. "But still…"

"But what…?"

As Haruka waited for a response from her son, Takashi was busy thinking about everything that's happened ever since he first encountered Pikachu. Like with what happened in Professor Oak's Lab, Takashi acted more out of instinct than logic. He knew that he would get hurt, but he simply didn't care. All he did care about was helping Pikachu and that's exactly what he did, despite the physical cost to himself. To that end, Takashi looked his mother in the eyes and said the following to her.

"I just felt it was something I had to do," He said. "For me, I would rather do something and regret it than do nothing and regret it. That's just the way I am Mom…I can't stand by when someone needs help."

When Haruka heard Takashi say that, her eyes lit up suddenly as she remembered something important. She then turned his attention towards a photo of her, and her late husband's Tatsumi's, wedding. As she stared at her husband's smiling face, Haruka started thinking back when he was still alive and how he always thought more about others than he did about himself. It was that characteristic of his that caused Haruka to fall in love with Tatsumi and as she looked back at her son she realized that he inherited one of his father's more positive traits.

This realization put a small smile on Haruka face as she continued treating her son's injuries. Once she finished wrapping his arm and placing another bandaged on Takashi's cheek, Haruka looked around the area for a moment in order to find Pikachu. When she couldn't see it, she let out a small sigh before talking to Takashi again.

"Listen sweetie…" She said. "I understand why you want to help Pikachu, I really do. But I'm not sure that your feelings will reach it."

"What do you mean, Mom?" Takashi asked her.

"What I mean is that even though you always want to help people, there are times when those you help aren't appreciative of you. They'll hold you down and make fun of you, despite your noble intentions. I believe Pikachu is one of them, a Pokémon who will always cause you problems. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's what I believe. I mean…has Pikachu ever thanked you for what you did for it?"

At first, Takashi was about to speak up about what his mother just said to him, but he suddenly stopped. He then thought about what she said and remembered how Pikachu would always bite him or electrocute him if he even attempted to get close to it. This caused him to realize that Haruka was right, much to his disappointment.

Eventually, as he continued to think about this, Takashi felt something touch his left shoulder and saw that it was his mother's hand. When he looked up at her he saw that the expression on her face was mixed, indicating it was something that she wasn't sure she should say to him. However, given everything that's happened so far, Haruka believed that it was something that she needed to say to her son.

"Takashi…I think it's time you send Pikachu back into the wild."

Once he heard his mother say that to him, Takashi's eyes widen greatly as he immediately stood up from his chair. He promised Professor Oak that he would take care of Pikachu while it was recovering and even though things haven't turned out the way he's hoped he still had every intention of doing that. Unfortunately, Haruka didn't feel that way as she believed that having Pikachu around would only cause more harm than good.

"I know this is something that you don't want to hear," She continued. "But I think this is for the best. In any case, this isn't up for debate. Tomorrow morning you are to take Pikachu back into the forest and leave it there…Do you understand?"

Takashi tried his best to come up with an excuse that will convince his mother to allow him to keep watching over Pikachu for a bit longer. However, no matter how hard he tried to do so he couldn't come up with anything. Not only that, but upon seeing the look on Haruka's face, Takashi knew right away that she had no intention of changing her mind. Because of that, as much as it pained him to do so, the young man had no choice but to comply with his mother's request.

"Alright…" He said as he put his head down.

With that said, Takashi slowly left out of the room that he was in and began making his way upstairs. As she watched him leave, Haruka felt her heart ache for what she having her son do. In all of her years as a mother, she never wanted to do anything that would bring any sadness to her son. Even so, it was because she was his mother that Haruka believed that this would be for the best. Because of that, she simply hoped that when this was over that Takashi would eventually forgive her.

While all of this was going on though, Pikachu was busy sitting in another room. The electric mouse overheard everything that Takashi and Haruka said to each other and seemed pretty unsure about what was going to happen. As it thought about that though, Pikachu was also focusing on the mess that it made and the drops of Takashi's blood that was still on the floor. Just looking at it caused Pikachu to remember how Takashi risked himself to help it and that was causing the Mouse Pokémon to start questioning its opinion on him. Even any case, things between the both of them would be settled once tomorrow came.

Once tomorrow did come and the sun began to rise over Pallet Town, Takashi somberly got up from bed and put on his clothes. He then led Pikachu outside of his house as his mother was busy standing near the front door. Before he left, Takashi turned around and faced Haruka and she saw that he was still pretty upset about all of this. However, before she could say anything, Takashi and Pikachu left and began making their way towards the forest. Once they were gone, Haruka put her head down slightly as her Sylveon attempted to cheer her up.

After a bit of walking, Takashi and Pikachu finally reached the forest just outside of Pallet Town and proceeded to enter it. As he walked through, the former noticed that there was a large number of Bug-Type Pokémon present. This was strange as they weren't there when he entered the forest a few days ago. He wondered what was going on here, but he decided to put those thoughts out of his head for now. Eventually, both Takashi and Pikachu arrived in the same spot where they first met and stopped walking.

"Well…we're here," He said silently to himself.

While trying to prepare himself for what he had to do, Takashi closed his eyes for a moment and once again thought about the last few days he spent with Pikachu. As expected, the memories he had weren't very pleasant and were downright painful for the most part. Even so, Takashi cherished those memories as it was the first time he interacted with a wild Pokémon before. He had hoped, through all their time together, that he would manage to touch Pikachu's heart and that the two of them could become friends. Sadly however, that simply wouldn't be the case.

Pikachu had no intention of being Takashi's friend and despite wanting to deny it, Takashi slowly began to realize that fact himself. Because of that, the young man let out a small sigh before looking down at Pikachu. He then knelt down to its eye level and looked at it with a smile that was both kind, yet sad at the same time.

"This is it…I guess," He said, trying to come up with the right words to say. "Time sure does pass by quick."

Takashi started chuckling to himself for a moment, but it was only so he could keep himself from crying in front of Pikachu. He wanted to show it, even if the Mouse Pokémon didn't like him, that, that he wouldn't falter from this. Once he finished chuckling, Takashi stared at Pikachu for a moment before slowly taking his hand and gently petting the top of its head.

"Listen Pikachu, I'm sorry that I haven't done a good enough job taking care of you. I thought I had the ability to do so, but it's clear to me that I don't. I guess that means I still have a lot to learn about taking care of Pokémon. Even so...I know that you're an incredible Pokémon, Pikachu and I know that you'll find a Trainer that will take good care of you and make you even stronger."

Surprised by Takashi's comment, Pikachu's eyes widened slightly as the Pokémon couldn't believe what he just said. However, what shocked Pikachu more was what it saw next. As the time for them to part finally arrived, Takashi soon started to lose control of his emotions as tears began falling down his face. Even though he was still smiling on the outside, the young man was unbelievably upset on the inside and he couldn't take it anymore. Even if his mother said that this was the best thing him to do it wasn't what he wanted to do and Pikachu saw that.

Soon, after feeling one of Takashi's tears fall onto its face, Pikachu's also began to recall all of its time with Takashi. Despite everything it put him through, Takashi has never treated it badly in turn and has always tried to be friends with it. This caused the Mouse Pokémon to remember its time in its pack. It was always considered the weakest Pikachu among them and was somewhat of an oddball. This caused it to be singled out and as a result, Pikachu didn't have any friends of its own. Because of that, when it was exiled following its defeat at the hands of Raichu, none of the other Pikachu even cared and were glad that it was gone. It was at that moment that Pikachu felt that it was alone in this world, but that wasn't really the case.

Through the compassion of a young 15-year-old boy, Pikachu slowly realized that it wasn't alone at all. It was thanks to Takashi bringing it to Professor Oak's lab that Pikachu didn't die of its injuries. It was thanks to him that Pikachu had a nice place to stay instead of being forced back into the forest when it wasn't healed. And it was thanks to Takashi that Pikachu had its very first friend. Unfortunately, by the time Pikachu realized all that, it was too late.

Takashi rubbed the top of Pikachu's head one last time before standing up and wiping the tears from his eyes. He then slowly began to walk away from the area, leaving Pikachu behind. Before he did so however he turned around and gave one last look at Pikachu, who looked back at him in return.

"…Goodbye Pikachu,"

With those two words, Takashi turned back around and left the area as fast as he could. If he stayed any longer his heart would start wavering and he wouldn't be able to do this. Because of that, he just ran and kept on running. Once Pikachu couldn't see Takashi anymore, the little Pokémon looked around the area and saw that it was all alone. When it realized that, a strong sense of loneness began to overrun Pikachu and it soon found itself running in the same direction where it saw Takashi run. But, as it did so, Pikachu ended up hearing something strange and suddenly stopped.

As a Pokémon, Pikachu's senses were far more powerful than that of a human's and although the noise it heard was small, it was still able to hear it. Soon, the noise started growing louder and as it did, Pikachu noticed that it had a buzzing sound to it. At first, Pikachu had no idea what this sound was, but as it got even louder, a surprising thought soon entered its mind. However, it just when Pikachu remembered where that buzzing noise was coming from did it finally appear and when it saw it, Pikachu was utterly terrified.

The source of the buzzing noise was coming from a large swarm of bee-like Pokémon that had two large stingers for arms. These Pokémon were called Beedrill and they are considered to be extremely dangerous due to their aggressive attitude and the poison that their stingers contained. As Pikachu looked up at all of them, it suddenly recalled how Raichu and its former pack were able to drive the Beedrill away from the area so that they could live here. Now that they were gone, the Beedrill have returned and they were not happy that one last Pikachu was still around its territory. Because of that, the swarm began making its way towards the little Pokémon and Pikachu was forced to flee.

Running as fast as it could, Pikachu tried its best to escape the Beedrill swarm and get somewhere safe. It tried, hiding behind tree and zigzagging all over the place, but nothing was effective. Eventually, Pikachu found itself at a dead end and, with nowhere to go, was forced to fight. Unfortunately, despite using its electrical attacks to hit some of the Beedrill, Pikachu couldn't defeat them all and was thus stung by them repeatedly. The poison from their stingers weakened it greatly and soon Pikachu found itself unable to move at all. It was at that moment that the Beedrill were about to launch their final attack…however.

"LEAVE PIKACHU ALONE!"

From out of nowhere, Takashi suddenly appeared and with a large stick in his hand, started swinging at the Beedrill. His sudden arrival completely caught the Beedrill off guard, so much so that all they could do at the moment was simply avoid his attacks. This gave the young man the chance he needed to reach Pikachu and pick it up in his arms. He then threw the stick he was carrying at the massive swarm before running off as quickly as he could.

As Takashi ran, Pikachu slowly began coming too and when it did, the Mouse Pokémon was surprised to see Takashi was here. Not that long ago they parted ways, but now he was here and Pikachu couldn't believe it. With what strength it had, Pikachu tugged on Takashi's shirt and when he looked down at it, the young man saw how confused it was. In response to that though, Takashi simply smiled as he continued to run with the electric mouse.

"I just couldn't do it…" He said. "I just couldn't leave you behind, Pikachu. I'm sorry, but I guess I'm just stupid like that."

Letting out a light chuckle, Takashi looked up at the sky for a moment before thinking about his father. He turned his attention back towards Pikachu as he held it even closer to him.

"Even so…my dad taught me to abandon my friends no matter what. Pikachu, even if you don't like me, I think of you as my friend and I promised to take care of you. So matter what happens here today…I swear to protect you!"

When Pikachu heard Takashi say that, the young Pokémon couldn't believe again. Even with all the danger that they're in, Takashi's only concern is making sure that Pikachu is safe. Nothing else matters to him, even his own life. This devotion caused a swell of emotion to erupt through Pikachu, causing tears to form in its eyes as it continued to be carried in the young man's arms.

Eventually, as dark clouds continued to cover the area and a fierce rainstorm began to fall, the Beedrill swarm finally caught up with Takashi and Pikachu and proceeded to chase after them. Despite seeing the swarm going after them though, Takashi refused to show them any fear and simply kept on running as he held Pikachu even closer to him. He swore to protect Pikachu and even as the swarm ganged up and started stinging him, Takashi refused to let the Beedrill have the electric mouse. Soon, as he continued to get stung, Takashi ended up tripping and found himself sliding down a small hill. By the time he each the bottom, he accidently let go of Pikachu and watched it land a few feet away from him.

Upon seeing Pikachu lying motionless on the ground, Takashi suddenly feared the force for it and slowly began making his way towards it. As he did so though, the Beedrills poison was beginning to take its effect on him, hindering significantly. Even so, he powered through and he finally reached Pikachu he was relieved to see that it was still alive. However, it was at that moment that the Beedrill swarm appeared before them both, prepared to finish them.

While watching the large swarm of Pokémon flying ever closer to him, Takashi's life soon started flashing before his eyes. He remembered every single event, from his birthday, to the day he learned his father passed away, to even his first steps as a baby. But despite all of that, the one memory that etched through his mind the most was the day he met Pikachu. Just thinking about that caused something to erupt within him and he soon found himself filled with energy. Because of that, Takashi angrily ripped off his shirt and went on to confront the Beedrill swarm.

"That's it!" He screamed. "I've had it with you damned bugs! You think I'm going to back down and let you have Pikachu…well think again! You want Pikachu, then you'll have to go through me first!"

The Beedrill swarm suddenly stopped when they heard Takashi yelling at them. They all saw the look in his eyes and it wasn't a look of a young man who was afraid for his life. It was look of a young man who was absolutely determined to protect what was important to him and that scared them. As for Takashi, he clinched up his fist as he took one step closer towards the large swarm, causing the Beedrill to fly back a few inches.

"Listen to me, Beedrill! My name is Takashi Nakamura and it's my destiny to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master! A Master that not only surpasses previous Masters…but only one that future Masters cannot surpass! I refuse to be defeated by the likes of you! So c'mon…I'll take all of you bastards at once!"

Once again, the Beedrill flew back due to the overwhelming might of Takashi's determination. Soon though, the entire swarm immediately came to the realization that this young man was someone that couldn't be left unchecked. To that end, they all started charging towards him, preparing their stingers for one final assault. In return, Takashi started charging towards the swarm, refusing to back down from them. However, before he could reach them, Takashi felt something jump off of his shoulder and come in between himself and the Beedrill.

"Pikachu…?!"

In a surprising display, Pikachu started charging towards the massive swarm, both of its cheeks sparks with electricity. Having witnessed Takashi's impressive resolve, Pikachu determined that it couldn't just sit around and let him risk his life to save it. The electric mouse was going to fight, no matter the cost to itself. To that end, Pikachu gathered all the electricity that it could muster and unleashed it in one massive blast.

At the exact moment Pikachu launched its attack though, something unexpected suddenly took place. From the sky, a powerful bolt of lightning struck Pikachu like a lightning rod. The resulting energy from the lightning bolt combined with Pikachu's own power created a massive blast of electricity that completely covered the entire area. By the time he realized what was going on, Takashi was blown away by the explosion and was rendered unconscious as a result.

Sometime later, Takashi slowly began to open his eyes and began to pick himself up from off the ground. He then looked on with a surprising look on his face at the sight of many unconscious Beedrill lying on the ground. As he looked at them all, the young man wondered what could have done this before remembering that it was Pikachu. He then started looking for the electric mouse, hoping that it was alright. After about a minute, Takashi managed to find Pikachu lying motionless in a small crater, prompting him to rush towards it.

"Pikachu!" He said as he picked up the Pokémon. "C'mon Pikachu, wake up! Wake up, Pikachu! Please open your eyes!"

At first, there was no response and Takashi started to worry that Pikachu had died protecting him. This brought tears to his eyes, prompting him to start sobbing as he brought Pikachu closer to him. However, as he continued to cry for it, some of his tears fell on Pikachu's face, causing it to wake up. When he noticed this, Takashi's face changed from one of sadness to one of joy. He then started smiling as more tears fell down from his face.

"Thank you Pikachu…" He told it. "You were awesome."

Pleased that it was able to save Takashi, Pikachu let out a small smile of its own before proceeding to lick his cheek as a sign of affection. When Takashi saw this, the smile on his face slowly became bigger and he soon brought Pikachu closer to his heart. He then proceeded to make his way out of the forest before all the fallen Beedrill begin to regain consciousness. Once they were out, both Takashi and Pikachu looked up into the sky and saw something incredible.

As the sun shined brightly over the horizon, a beautiful rainbow was seen above all of Pallet Town. Inside of that rainbow was a giant Flying-Type Pokémon, whose entire body was shined with an intense golden color. Although neither one of them knew what this Pokémon was, both Takashi and Pikachu felt warm feeling in their hearts as they continued to look at it. They then continued to stare at the Pokémon until it, and the rainbow, disappeared from sight. After that, Takashi looked down at Pikachu one more time before making his back to Pallet Town.

"Let's head home…"

* * *

"C'mon Pikachu…I'll get you this time!"

Two days have passed since the event that took place in the forest and during that time, plenty of noise could be heard coming from the Nakamura residence. Takashi was busy running after Pikachu, who was skillfully avoiding his every step. However, unlike when Pikachu was avoiding Takashi out of anger and mistrust, the electric mouse was running from Takashi because they were playing tag and having fun. Eventually, after running to other way in order to intercept it, Takashi was finally able to catch Pikachu and the two happily embraced.

As the two of them started laughing with each other, both Haruka and Sylveon were looking on at them with smiles on their faces. When Takashi first returned home with Pikachu after what happened a few days ago, Haruka was very concerned that more problems would occur between the two. To her surprise however, the exact opposite occurred. The experience that they went through together allowed Takashi and Pikachu to become good friends, making it seem like they were never at odds with each other to begin with. This made Haruka very happy, but there was something else that made her even happier.

In the beginning, Haruka was strongly against Pikachu being with Takashi as she believed the Mouse Pokémon would only cause problems for her son. However, Takashi refused to believe this and it was ultimately his will that won Pikachu over. Haruka was extremely proud of her son, not just because of his kindness and determination, but also because he had the strength to stick to his beliefs to the very end, even if it meant defying her. It was because of this that Haruka once again believed that her son had inherited some of her husband's more positive traits.

Eventually, as the day continued to roll on by, someone started knocking on the door and Haruka began making her way towards it. When she opened the door she happily greeted Professor Oak and welcomed him inside of her home. Once he was inside, the first thing that the Professor noticed was Takashi and Pikachu and he was pleased to see how close they have become in so short a time. He then made his way into the living room, where Takashi finally noticed him and began making his way towards the Professor.

"Good morning, Professor Oak." He said with a smile on his face. "What bring you here today?"

"Good morning, Takashi." Oak replied with a smile of his own. "I'm here today because I want to present you with a Starter Pokémon. I just received my latest shipment and I promised myself that you would get the first pick."

Pulling out the briefcase that he brought with him, Professor Oak opened it up and revealed 3 PokéBalls to Takashi. Inside of those PokéBalls were the 3 Pokémon that new Trainers from Kanto Region could choose to start their Pokémon Journeys with; the Grass-Type Bulbasaur, the Fire-Type Charmander, and the Water-Type Squirtle. When Takashi saw them, his eyes lit up as this was the moment he had been waiting for since he was a child. However, just as he was about to reach for a PokéBall, Takashi suddenly realized something important and stopped just short of doing so.

As his mother, Professor Oak, and Sylveon looked on, Takashi stared at all 3 PokéBalls for a moment before remembering everything he went through during the last couple of days. Granted, if he hadn't been late on that first day, he would've been able to obtain a Pokémon much earlier and be well on his journey along with his best friends, Kazuto and Minako. However, it was because of he was late that he was able to go through such a life changing experience and has he continued to think about it, Takashi had only one to thank for that and that was Pikachu.

Looking down next to him, Takashi stared at the electric mouse as it looked up towards him. Even though neither of them knew it when they first met, Takashi and Pikachu both realized that they were destined to meet up with each other. The two of them have been through so much in just a few days than most Trainers go through in their entire careers. It was because that what they've been through that Takashi couldn't bring himself to choose any of 3 Starter Pokémon. Instead, he decided to make a special request to Professor Oak.

"Professor…" He started off. "I truly appreciate this and nothing would make me happier than to start my journey with one of those Pokémon. It's just…there's another Pokémon that I want to start my journey with even more than those three."

Bending down, Takashi picked up Pikachu for off the ground and held it in his arms. As they looked at each other, Pikachu gave Takashi a warm smile, who returned it with one of his own. He then brought the Pokémon closer to him as they both turned their attention back towards Professor Oak.

"If it's alright with you, Professor Oak…I would like to start my Pokémon Journey with Pikachu instead!"

Upon hearing Takashi's request, Professor Oak looked into the young man's eyes and knew right away that he was serious about this. He then turned his attention towards Pikachu and noticed that the expression on the Pokémon's face as changed. At first, Pikachu had the look of someone who didn't trust anyone or anything. However, things were different now and Oak could see that Pikachu trusted Takashi greatly, both as a friend and as a potential Trainer. When he saw this, Oak started smiling to himself as he was extremely pleased by all this.

For over 2 decades now, Professor Oak has passed out Pokémon to new Trainers so that they can begin their respective journeys. During each of those times, it was always the Trainer who chose the Pokémon, but something different was occurring now. In this instance, while Takashi wanted Pikachu to be his Pokémon, Pikachu also wanted Takashi to be its Trainer. It was a case of a Pokémon choosing its Trainer and that was something that made the Professor very happy. Because of that, Professor Oak closed his briefcase and went to give Takashi an empty PokéBall.

"Of course…" He said. "If that's what you both want…then who am I to stop you."

"Thanks Professor…"

Taking the PokéBall into his hand, Takashi examined it for a moment before going on to press the button in the middle of it. When he did so, this caused the ball to expand until it fit completely in the palm of his hand. After that, he put Pikachu softly on the ground before standing in front of the electric mouse.

"Alright Pikachu…" He said to it. "With you by my side, I know that we're going to make it all the way to the top!"

Once he saw Pikachu nod its head at him, Takashi looked at the PokéBall that he was holding for a moment before throwing it at the Mouse Pokémon. When the ball hit the top of Pikachu's head, it opened up and everyone watched as Pikachu then transformed into a mass of red light energy. The energy then made its way inside of the PokéBall from closing up and landing on the ground. It then started wiggling around for a few seconds before stopping, resulting in several colorful sparks to pop out when it did.

After that happened, Takashi picked up the PokéBall that contained Pikachu from off the floor and held it in his hand. A huge smile then appeared on his face as he knew that this marked the beginning of his career as a Pokémon Trainer. As a result, the young man raised the PokéBall high into the air as Professor Oak and the others all looked on in approval.

"Alright, I caught a Pikachu!"

While basking in the moment of catching his very first Pokémon, Takashi noticed that the PokéBall that he was holding was beginning to wiggle around again. As he wondered what was going on, the ball suddenly opened and released a massive blast of blue and white energy. When the energy hit the ground it transformed into Pikachu, who didn't seem too happy with Takashi for some reason. Before Takashi could ask what was wrong, Pikachu shocked the young man with its electric powers, causing him to fall to floor in agony.

"Ow….what was that for…?" He questioned.

"Well, it seems that this Pikachu doesn't like being confined to its PokéBall," Professor Oak answered. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. As you'll soon learn, every Pokémon has their own unique personality and as Trainer, it'll be your job to make the most out those personality traits."

Picking himself from off the ground and shaking off the pain that he was feeling, Takashi started at Pikachu for a moment before letting out a small smile. He then gently rubbed the top of its head, causing the tuft of fur on its head to flatten out for a second before it shot back up. This made Pikachu happy, prompting it to jump onto Takashi's shoulder. Once he saw it do that, the young man nodded his head at Pikachu before shrinking its PokéBall and putting it away.

"Alright then…" He said. "If you want to stay out here with me, then okay. In fact, I think I prefer it that way."

Nodding its head in agreement, Pikachu happily smiled at Takashi as it rested comfortably upon his shoulder. Sometime later, Takashi went on to repack all of the things he would need to start his Pokémon Journey with. Once he did so, the young man put on a black and blue jacket, a pair of sneakers, and a pair a set of fingerless gloves. He then went on to wear a red hat with a PokéBall symbol on it before making his way downstairs with his backpack. Once he was there, he saw both his mother and Haruka waiting for him.

Upon seeing her son all prepared to begin his journey, a sense of pride enveloped Haruka as she proud that Takashi was about to embark on the next stage of his life. Before she set him off however, Haruka went on to present her son with two things. The first was a keychain while the other was a bracelet. While being different, both items contained a special stone and for some reason, Takashi felt drawn them both.

"What are these, mom?" He asked her.

"Let's just say they'll help you as you set off on your journey," Haruka answered. "These items belonged to your father…and before he died he made me promise that I would give them to you when you became a Trainer. Cherish them Takashi…for they contain your father's will."

After listening to his mother, Takashi examined both of items one more time before taking them. He then nodded his head before placing the keychain around his neck and hiding it underneath his shirt. He then put the bracelet on his left arm, making sure it was on properly. Once he did that, Takashi looked back towards his mother, who went out of her way to hug him tightly.

Without even saying a word, Takashi knew right away how his mother was feeling and soon embraced her as well. It's always hard for a parent to say goodbye to their child and for a child to say goodbye to their parent. However, both Takashi and Haruka knew that this was for the best and that this parting wasn't a permanent one. Because of that, the two shared a nice long embrace as it would be the last one they'll have for a long time. Once they finished, Haruka then went on to gently kiss the top of Takashi's head, making him smile gently.

As soon as that was done, Takashi went on to say a nice goodbye to Sylveon, petting its head gently as he did so. While that was going on, Haruka went on to do the same with Pikachu. Like with Takashi, Haruka and Pikachu didn't have to say anything to each other in order to convey their feelings. Now that it was Takashi's Pokémon, Pikachu promised Haruka that it would take care of him and Haruka could tell that the electric mouse had every intention of keeping that promise.

"Alright sweetie…" Haruka said as she opened the door for her son. "It's time. Head on out there and achieve your dream. And always know that no matter what happens…I will always be on your side."

"Thanks mom…" Takashi replied.

With that, Takashi and Pikachu ran out the house and set off on their journey. As she watched him leave, Haruka started crying tears of joy. Even though it would be a little bit lonely without her son around, she was content with the knowledge that he was out there working hard to achieve his lifelong dream. Because of that, Haruka happily wiped her tears away and continued to watch her son run with pride. Once she couldn't see him anymore, both Haruka and Sylveon slowly closed the door to their home and head back inside.

Meanwhile, after running through the streets of Pallet Town, Takashi and Pikachu finally reached the edge before stopping. They then looked back at the town, with Takashi taking the time to reflect on everything he's been through since he's been living there. After doing so, Takashi then raised his right hand into the air and balled it into a fist. He then smiled confidently as he continued staring at the town.

"So long Pallet Town…Until next time."

With a smile still on his face, Takashi lowered his hand and soon turned away from his hometown. He then stared out at the path away from Pallet Town. Once he started down that path, the young man knew that he would be embarking on a brand new chapter in his life. Naturally, a part of him felt very nervous about this as new things usually do. However, upon seeing Pikachu sitting next him and remembering how his mother believes in him, Takashi was able to shake off his fears. He then started walking down the path with a confident look on his face.

"Let's get going, Pikachu!"

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Now that he's begun his Pokémon Journey, Takashi Nakamura is ready to achieve his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master. However, as he's about to find out, the path to becoming a master is filled with many different obstacles. How will Takashi handle these obstacles and what will happen when he engages in his very first Pokémon Battle?_

 _Next time, Chapter 3: Taking the First Steps_

* * *

 ** _Announcements_**

 **Spirit Reader:** _Hey guys, it's Spirit Reader with a quick announcement. I'm extremely sorry for the long delay, but I was busy planning and got caught with personal matters. However, I'm happy say that the next chapter will be coming out soon. For now, please just be a bit more patient. Thank you for your support.  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 3:** _Taking the First Steps_

* * *

For a Pokémon Trainer, the first day they set out on their journeys is always filled with life changing experiences. Although some of them believe that they already have all the skills they'll need in order to become successful Trainers, they actually hardly know anything at all. They stumble, make mistakes, and some of them even question if they truly have what it takes. As a result, it is during this first day that many rookie Trainers are truly tested to see if they have what it takes to continue on this path. This is the case for many, but it's especially true for young Takashi Nakamura.

It's been a few hours since Takashi, and his newly captured Pikachu, left Pallet Town to begin his Pokémon Journey and the young man was still coming to grips with the fact that he's now a Trainer. Although he was excited, as he was now able to try to reach his goal of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master, a part of him was also very nervous as well. After all, the only experience he has with interacting with other Pokémon is the few days he's been tending to his Pikachu as it was recovering from its injuries. Other than that, he didn't know anything else and that was weighing heavily on his mind as he continued walking.

Still, despite how nervous he was feeling on the inside, Takashi also carried within him a strong sense of determination. His desire to become a Pokémon Master has been burning inside him ever since he was a little boy. Now that the time has come in which he can strive to achieve it, he wasn't about to back down because of some doubts. Not only that, but he also had people supporting him like his mother, Professor Oak, and even Pikachu. With all of them backing him, Takashi felt that he had to continue moving forward, so as it too not let down their expectations of him.

"Alright…." He said, stopping for a moment to take in the fresh in. "Let's get to it. I better start off by checking to see where the closest town is."

Reaching down into his pocket, Takashi pulled out a small blue device that resembled a combination of a phone and a computer. This device is called a PokéGear and its one of the first things that his mother, Haruka, bought for Takashi prior to him starting out on his Journey. It comes with several useful functions such as a clock, a phone, and a map. With it, Takashi is able to see where he currently is and figure out where he needs to go next. So, after starting it up and setting up the PokéGear's map app, the young Trainer took the time to determine his next destination.

"Let's see…Apparently the closest place is Viridian City and it's about a day's walk from where I am now. I guess I'll head there first…but before I do."

Taking a moment to look out and examine the landscape in front of him, Takashi watched as a few forest Pokémon were busy interacting with one another. When they noticed him staring at them, the Pokémon became frightened and ran into a deeper section of the forest. Seeing them do that made Takashi realize that there was one thing that he needed to do before he could truly say he was a Pokémon Trainer; capture his first wild Pokémon.

As he examined all across the area for one, Takashi thought about which Pokémon he should try and capture. He always wanted to capture a Flying-Type Pokémon, but obtaining Grass-Type Pokémon was pretty appealing to him too. Then again, Takashi always wanted to capture a Fire-Type Pokémon as well. In the end, the young man couldn't decide on which Pokémon he wanted as he would be fine with any type. For Takashi, catching a new Pokémon simply means gaining a new friend and that, more than anything, is what he really wanted.

Eventually, as they continued to walk around, Pikachu suddenly stopped as it picked up something thanks to its sensitive hearing. Takashi stopped as well when he saw this and wondered what Pikachu happened to hear. He wouldn't have to wait long however as Pikachu pointed out to Takashi that there was something moving around in a patch of grass that was in front of them.

Upon getting a closer look, Takashi saw that the thing moving around in the grass was indeed a wild Pokémon. It had the appearance of a small purple mouse with red eyes and large buck teeth. When he saw it, Takashi recognized the creature as a Rattata, one of the Pokémon that he would usually see around Pallet Town. Realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to capture his very first Pokémon and truly consider himself a Pokémon Trainer, Takashi prepared himself and quickly grabbed one of his empty PokéBalls.

As Pikachu looked on at him, Takashi pressed the button in the middle of the PokéBall so that it would grow until it fully fit into the palm of his hand. He then took aim at Rattata as he continued to examine the area for any food. Once he was sure that he got a lock on the Mouse Pokémon, Takashi threw his PokéBall at it.

"Go PokéBall!"

At the very instant that Takashi shouted those two words, Rattata immediately perked up and saw both him and Pikachu. However, it was too late to react as the PokéBall proceeded to hit it right on top of its head. This caused the ball to open up and convert Rattata into a form of light energy. It then got sucked into the ball before it closed back up and landed on the ground. Once that happened, the PokéBall started wiggling across the ground as the button in the middle started flickering on and off.

At first, Takashi believed that he successfully captured Rattata and started celebrating about his accomplishment. However, as he continued to do so, Pikachu noticed that the PokéBall was wiggling around rather violently. By the time the electric mouse managed to alert its Trainer to this, it was already too late. The PokéBall burst open, releasing the light energy that quickly transformed back into the Rattata. It then quickly ran away from the area before Takashi could attempt to capture it again.

"What…just happened?" The young man asked himself. "I was sure that I caught it…but it broke free. How it do that?"

As Takashi attempted to figure out the answer to that question, Pikachu proceeded to pick up the PokéBall that its Trainer used and hand it back to him. Takashi then went on to thank his partner by gently rubbing the top of its head before going back to thinking about his problem. While he did so, Takashi felt something in his pocket and proceeded to pull it out. When he did, he saw that it was the device that Professor Oak gave to him before he left on his journey; a PokéDex.

According to what the Professor told him, a PokéDex contains useful information that will help him along his travels. Realizing that this is one of those times, Takashi decided to activate his PokéDex and go on to examine all of its features. After about a minute, he found something that involved the problem that he was facing and proceeded to listen in as PokéDex started explaining the issue.

" _When capturing a wild Pokémon, it's usually best to weaken it by having one of your own Pokémon battle against it,"_ The PokéDex explained. _"Doing this makes it harder for the wild Pokémon to escape a PokéBall and thus making it easier for it to catch."_

Once he heard this, Takashi quickly realized his mistake and what he did wrong. Instead of having Pikachu battle against Rattata, he just threw a PokéBall at it and hoped that it would be captured. Since it was still at full strength, Rattata was able to easily escape from the PokéBall and flee the area before Takashi had the chance to try and capture it again. This caused Takashi to gently bang his PokéBall across his head a few times, berating himself for his mistake.

"So stupid…I can't believe I didn't realize that."

Takashi continued hitting himself with the PokéBall for about another minute before the pain caused him to stop. Once he did so, the young man let out a small sigh before turning his attention towards Pikachu.

"Oh well…At least now I know what to do next time. Which also means that I'll need your help, Pikachu."

Pikachu nodded its head in agreement and proceeded to bump fists with Takashi. It then jumped onto his shoulder as he prepared to continue looking around for another Pokémon to try and capture. As he did so, Takashi took the opportunity to also examine his PokéDex some more in order to learn any more tips about capturing wild Pokémon. Eventually, after walking around for another 20 minutes or so, both Takashi and Pikachu not only managed to spot another Pokémon, but a group of them.

The group of Pokémon were all Flying-Types that had dark brown feathers on their heads and light brown tail feathers on their back. As he attempted to get a better look at them, Takashi wasn't able to recognize who they were though. Fortunately for him however, the young man remembered about his PokéDex and proceeded to use it in order to figure out who these Pokémon were. Once the device was able to scan them, it then started talking to Takashi again.

" _Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Spearow eats bugs in grassy areas. It has to flap its short wings at high speed in order to stay airborne."_

After his PokéDex finished explaining who they were and he put it back into his pocket, Takashi went back to examining the flock of Spearow. As they went about trying to find some food to eat, Takashi figured that now was the best opportunity for him to try and capture one of them while they were off guard. With that in mind, he turned his attention towards Pikachu for second and watched as the electric mouse nodded its head back at him, understanding what it needed to do. Takashi then watched as Pikachu quickly ran towards one of the Spearow.

Once it got close enough to one of them, Pikachu started letting out a few sparks of electricity from the patches on its cheeks. The sound of these sparks managed to catch the attention of the Spearow while it was attempting to devour an earthworm that was in it mouth. It then tried to quickly swallow the worm so that it could alert the rest of its flock of Pikachu's arrival, but Takashi was determined to prevent that.

"Here we go Pikachu!" He said with a determined look on his face. "Use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu let out a loud cry as it dashed towards Spearow at an incredible speed. It then slammed its body into the Flying-Type Pokémon, causing it to slide across the ground. When he saw this, Takashi nearly started jumping for joy as he was excited that Pikachu managed to connect with its attack. However, he quickly calmed himself down as he knew that the battle wasn't over yet. So, as he watched Spearow begin to pick itself up from off the ground, he responded by having Pikachu launch its next attack.

"Good work Pikachu! Now use Thunder Shock!"

Quickly complying to the request, Pikachu's cheeks started letting out several more sparks of electricity before finally releasing a powerful blast at Spearow. The Tiny Bird Pokémon tried its best to get out of the way of the attack in time, but was simply unable to do so and ended up getting zapped as a result. Once Pikachu's attack came to an end, Spearow ended falling to the ground, paralyzed for the electricity.

Once he saw Spearow lying on the ground, Takashi saw that now was his best opportunity to try and capture it. So, without wasting any time, he quickly grabbed the empty PokéBall that he used before and proceeded to enlarge it again. He then took aim and threw it at Spearow, hoping that this time he will be able to capture his very first Pokémon. However, as both he and Pikachu watched as the ball flew through the air, a gust of wind suddenly picked up and blew the PokéBall back.

"What the heck?!" Takashi said, confused by what just occurred. "Where did that wind come from?"

As he looked around the area, Takashi saw that the wind came from a few of the other Spearow, who all flapped their wings at the same time in order to blow the PokéBall away. All of them were extremely angry with the young Trainer for trying to capture one of their own and they were determined to make him pay for it. As a result, the Spearow all charged towards Takashi and started pecking at him relentlessly.

"Ow...Ow…that hurts, damn it!" Takashi screamed as he tried to fight off the flock of Pokémon. "Knock it off!"

Despite hearing his pleas, the Spearow kept on attack Takashi, refusing to let up for even a moment. When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon quickly jumped it and tried to get rid of them with a couple of Thunder Shock attacks. Unfortunately, although it managed to get some of them, there were simply too many Spearow and Pikachu soon found itself under attack by the flock as well. Now both Trainer and Pokémon were completely overwhelmed and there was nothing they could do about it.

Eventually, as the Spearow flock continued on with their assault, something unexpected occurred that suddenly startled them. Somehow, a stream of red-hot flames appeared from out of nowhere and hit a few of the Pokémon. As they fell to the ground, all the other Spearow stopped what they were doing and turned towards of the direction of the flames. They then watched as another stream of fire headed towards them, prompting the Flying-Types to fly away before they were hit.

After the flock flew away, Takashi and Pikachu slowly picked themselves up and checked to see that they were both okay. Once they were to confirm that was indeed to case, the two of them then looked back and watched as another individual started walking towards him. He was a young man who seemed around Takashi's age and by his side was a Charmander, a Fire-Type Pokémon. Upon getting a good look at the individual, Takashi started to feel that he recognized him from somewhere.

"Hey…I know you."

As if a light bulb suddenly went off inside of his head, Takashi suddenly remembered who this young Trainer was. Although he didn't know him by his name, Takashi did know that he was the same young man that he met when he was originally going to get his Starter Pokémon from Professor Oak. Not only that, but Takashi also remembered that this young Trainer was the one who took the Charmander that he originally wanted to choose as his own Starter. Just seeing the two of them together caused Takashi to wonder what things would be like for him if hadn't met his Pikachu when he did, causing him to have mixed feelings on the matter.

While Takashi continued to stare at the individual who just saved him, the young Trainer looked down at one of the fallen Spearow that his Charmander managed to defeat with its Fire-Type Attack. After pondering about it for a few seconds, he proceeded to pull out an empty PokéBall and throw it at the Pokémon. Right away, the Spearow was sucked into the ball and both the young Trainer and Takashi watched as it started wiggling on the ground. Eventually, the ball stopped moving and the light in the middle of the PokéBall stopped flickering as well, signaling Spearow's capture.

Once that happened, the young man then went on to walk right past Takashi and pick up the PokéBall that contained his newly caught Pokémon. He then pulled out a black PokéDex from his pocket and used it to examine the ball. When he saw this, Takashi was a bit confused and wondered what he was doing. However, before he could question him about it, the young man proceeded to put his PokéDex away.

"I guess you're good enough…for now," He said in a low tone of voice. He then turned himself around. "We're done here. Let's get going, Charmander."

Charmander nodded its head in agreement as it prepared to walk away from the area with its Trainer. Before they could get to far however, Takashi quickly followed after the both of them.

"Wait a minute!" He called out. "Please wait up!"

Getting in front of the two of them, Takashi waved his arms in front of the Trainer so that it would get him to stop. Unfortunately for him, the young Trainer and his Charmander completely ignored him and continued on their way. Seeing them do that ticked off Takashi a little, but he didn't let that stop him from trying to get their attention.

"Um…Thank you for saving me and my Pikachu back there…" He said as he tried to keep up with the Trainer. "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up when you did."

"…You would have been killed."

Stunned by the Trainer's cold response, Takashi stopped walking for a second and stared at him as he continued to walk away. Given the quiet and stern expression on his face, Takashi figured he'd be a serious individual, but he never expected something like this, especially since he just helped him out. Even so, Takashi didn't let that stop him and so he quickly caught up with the young Trainer again.

"So…um…Hey, my name is Takashi. We met before…on the day you came to get your Starter Pokémon from Professor Oak. It's good to see you again."

Again, the young Trainer didn't respond to Takashi and just kept on walking away with his Charmander. This continued to bother Takashi a bit more, but he put up with it and tried one last time to spark up a conversation.

"You know…" He continued. "I was originally going to choose a Charmander for my Starter too…but you managed to take the last one before I had a chance. But that okay…I don't blame you for that. Besides, I managed to find a trusty partner of my own to begin my Pokémon Journey with…Isn't that right, Pikachu?"

Pikachu happily gave its Trainer a proud salute before proceeding to jump on his shoulder. As the two of them played around with one another, the young Trainer that they were walking with suddenly stopped. He then turned himself and looked at Takashi and Pikachu with an annoyed expression on his face. Just seeing him like that caused Takashi to stop messing around and focus on the young man.

"Look…" He said sternly. "I'm very busy and I don't have time to mess around with someone who can't handle a few little Spearow."

"Hey?!" Takashi replied. "You can't really blame me for that. I mean…there were about 12 of them and they were all attacking at the same time."

"You're right…The blame should really fall to your pathetic little Pikachu. What kind of Electric-Type Pokémon ends up losing to a Flying-Type?"

Upon hearing the young Trainer bad mouth his Pikachu, something within Takashi just snapped. He then proceeded to grab the Trainer by his shirt collar and glared at him fiercely. However, the Trainer wasn't too impressed by this display and simply stared back at Takashi.

"Listen here…I don't really care if you badmouth me, I'll just shrug that off. But no one is going to talk bad about my Pikachu…you got that?!"

The young Trainer remained silent as he continued to watch Takashi glaring angrily at him, but he quickly grew tired of this as well. He then grabbed one of Takashi's wrists before proceeding to flip him hard onto the ground. After he did that, the Trainer then went on to brush the wrinkles off of his shirt while Takashi's Pikachu quickly rushed over to his side. Once he finished, the Trainer then got ready to leave with his Charmander again.

"I don't have time to listen you're complaints. Let's go Charmander."

As the Trainer and his Charmander started walking away again, Takashi slowly picked himself back up and glared at the both of them. He wasn't about to let the two of them get away with this, especially after everything that both he and Pikachu went through during the last couple of days. Because of that, he quickly picked himself up before firmly stomping his right foot on the ground in anger.

"Not so fast!" He shouted. "If you think I'm going to let you get away with this…then you have another thing coming! I…I challenge you to a Pokémon Battle!"

The young Trainer stopped for a moment and turned his attention back towards Takashi. When he looked at him, he could tell that he was serious about challenging him to a battle. He could also tell that his Pikachu was just as determined to fight as well. At first, the Trainer wasn't about to go out his way to accept Takashi's challenge, considering it to be a waste of both his and his Charmander's valuable time. However, just when it looked like he was about to leave, he caught notice of something else. He saw that Takashi's hand was shaking.

Even though he was the one who made the challenge, Takashi was still pretty nervous as this would be his first official Pokémon Battle. Not only that, but he could tell that both the Trainer and his Charmander were incredibly strong, even without having to see them battle. This made him feel even more nervous, causing his hand to shake without him even realizing it. When the young Trainer saw this, a small smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Alright then…I accept your challenge," He said. "I'll show you just how foolish it is to challenge me…Sasuke Himura!"

* * *

With the battle between the two of them now made official, Sasuke Himura proceeded to bring Takashi over to an open space so that their Pokémon will have plenty of room to fight. Once they arrived at said space, both Trainers proceeded to walk towards opposite ends of it. After they did so, Takashi and Sasuke then stared each other down for about a minute before the former turned his attention towards his Pikachu.

As he looked down at his partner, Takashi knelt down towards Pikachu and began gently petting the stop of its head. The electric mouse smiled at its Trainer's gesture, but could tell that something was off. Pikachu felt how nervous Takashi was about his first battle and even though this wasn't its first battle, Pikachu felt just as nervous. Even so, both of them knew that they couldn't afford to back down and so they quickly swallowed their fear and prepared themselves for what was to come.

While that was going on, Sasuke looked on at Takashi and Pikachu and once again smirked at how nervous they were. He then looked down at his Charmander and saw how eager it was to take the two of them down. Not wanting to waste any time, Sasuke ordered to his Charmander to race onto the battlefield and the Fire-Type Pokémon immediately did what it was told. When Takashi saw this, and saw the eager look on Charmander's face, he had Pikachu run out onto the battlefield as well. The two Pokémon then went on to stare each other down, trying their best to intimidate the other.

"So this is it…" Takashi thought quietly to himself. "I'm about to have my very first Pokémon Battle. I always thought it would be more exciting…but all I'm feeling now is a sense of fear. It's kind of pathetic now that I think about it…"

Eventually, as he continued to ponder about how he was feeling about this, Takashi quickly realized that he needed to put those feelings away for the moment. Right now, the only thing that mattered was defeating Sasuke and making him eat his words. To that end, Takashi decided to give this battle everything he got and to start off hard and fast.

"Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"

Pikachu nodded its head once it heard Takashi's command and began gathering a large amount of electricity from within its body. Once it had gathered enough, Pikachu then went on to release the electricity from the sacs of its cheeks and direct it right towards Charmander. However, despite seeing this attack coming right towards his Charmander, Sasuke doesn't even seem to react to it. All he does do is let out a small, yet cocky smirk as he gave Charmander his first order of the battle.

"Charmander, use Flamethrower!"

When Charmander heard its Trainer's command, it proceeded to take a deep breath before expelling a large stream of fire from its mouth. These flames were so powerful that it easily overwhelmed Pikachu's electricity and began making their way towards the Mouse Pokémon as well. When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon quickly jumped out of the way, but the heat from the flames still slightly burned it.

As for Takashi, the young man was completely shocked by what he just saw. Even before he decided to battle it, he knew that Sasuke's Charmander was an extremely powerful Pokémon. However, after seeing its Flamethrower easily overwhelm Pikachu's Thunder Shock, the young man realized that Charmander's strength far exceeded his expectations. He also realized that he couldn't win by simply relying on Pikachu's electrical attacks. He had to go about this battle in another way.

"Alright then…" He said to himself. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Charmander!"

Again nodding its head in compliance, Pikachu rushed towards Charmander at an incredible speed. When it got close enough to the Fire-Type Pokémon, Pikachu then shifted directions and started running the other way. It then kept on doing this for quite a while, making it difficult for Charmander to get a lock on Pikachu's location.

While watching this take place, Sasuke quickly realized what Takashi was trying to have his Pikachu do. Even if Charmander's attacks are more powerful, those attacks are meaningless if they don't connect. As a result, Takashi decided to take advantage of Pikachu's greater speed and attack at the right moment. Though that tactic seemed pretty smart on paper, Sasuke scoffed at it and prepared to launch his next move.

"Stop it now, Charmander!" He declared.

Once Charmander heard Sasuke say that, the Lizard Pokémon focused itself and paid close attention to Pikachu's movements. It watched how Pikachu would jump away just before it made contact with it, hoping to confuse it with its speedy movements. However, even though Charmander couldn't keep up with Pikachu when it came to speed, the Fire-Type was able to see that its opponent was moving around in a pattern. Because of that, Charmander didn't have to expend any energy trying to follow Pikachu with its eyes as it already knew what it was going to do next.

Soon, after a few more seconds of running, Pikachu finally began making its way towards its opponent. However, just as it seemed that it successfully rammed itself into Charmander's chest, both Pikachu and Takashi were surprised to see that the Fire-Type actually grabbed it just in time. Now, with Pikachu now firmly within its grasp, a small smile appeared on Charmander's face as Sasuke quickly announced his next attack.

"Charmander, use Slash!"

Taking one its claws, Charmander started building up energy within them and Takashi watched as they started glowing a bright white color. He then watched as the claws not only grew longer, but sharper and more powerful as well. Once it finished building up enough power, Charmander unleashed a devastating fury upon Pikachu and the only thing Takashi could do was watch as his friend was being pounded.

"No Pikachu…!" He screamed. "You have to get away!"

Pikachu heard Takashi's words and tried to do everything within its power to separate itself from Charmander's vicious attacks. Unfortunately, there was nothing the little mouse could do. The power of Charmander's repeated attacks were so great that it didn't have enough time to recover. As a result, all Takashi could do was watch as Pikachu continued to be assaulted over and over again.

Eventually, after Charmander unleashed one more attack that brought Pikachu crashing down towards the ground, Sasuke looked over towards Takashi and saw how crushed he is about seeing his Pokémon being beaten down like this. Having proven his point, the young Trainer decided to finally end things and thus gave Charmander one final command.

"Alright Charmander…" He started off. "End this with Flamethrower."

Charmander took a moment to look at its Trainer and saw that he was determined to end this battle right now. This prompted the Fire-Type to nod its head at him before slowly walking over towards Pikachu. Once it reached the electric mouse, and watched as it struggled to get back to its feet, Charmander took another deep breath. Then, just as Pikachu finally did get up, Charmander expelled a large blast of fire from its mouth and struck its opponent with it.

"PIKACHU!"

As he looked on in horror, Takashi watched as Pikachu was consumed by Charmander's flames and was sent flying by the force of its attack. Once Pikachu hit the ground, the young man rushed over towards his fallen Pokémon and saw that it was completely knocked out. This prompted him to tearfully cradle Pikachu within his arms, praying that his little friend would be okay.

Meanwhile, as that was going on, Charmander began making his way towards Sasuke. However, instead of acknowledging his Pokémon for winning him the battle, Sasuke simply said nothing. For him, this battle was nothing of any real significance and thus wasn't anything to get excited about. Knowing this as well, Charmander didn't say as well and simply stood there as Sasuke took its PokéBall and proceeded to return the Fire-Type back inside of it.

Once he did that, Sasuke prepared himself to leave and continue on with his training. However, before he got too far away, the young man turned his head back and watched as Takashi was still on the ground, holding Pikachu in his arms. By the time Takashi finally looked up at him, the two Pokémon Trainers stared at one another for a moment, each with a different expression on their face. Shortly after that, Sasuke turned back around and started walking away.

"Give up…" He said.

"Huh…?" Takashi's eyes widen slightly, confused by Sasuke's words. "Give…up?"

"You clearly don't have what it takes to be a Trainer. Give up…and save yourself the embarrassment."

With that said, Sasuke walked away and left Takashi to ponder about not only his crushing defeat, but he said to him as well. As sat there, trying to absorb everything that just happened, Takashi noticed that Pikachu was beginning to stir a little. Although the Mouse Pokémon hadn't regained unconsciousness, it was clear that it was in a lot of pain due to the damage it took. Because of that, Takashi decided to take Pikachu somewhere safe so that it could rest and recover.

After looking around for a bit, Takashi found a nearby tree and proceeded to sit right next to it before beginning to treat Pikachu's injuries. Thanks to his mother, Haruka, Takashi was taught several things that he would need to know once he left home to become a Trainer. Some of those things included cooking, cleaning, and of course tending to his Pokémon's injuries. Although a part of him knew that he would have to use what he learned one day, Takashi wished that it was during more pleasant circumstances.

Ever since he was a little boy, Takashi always believed that he had what it takes to be a good Pokémon Trainer. He believed that he would overcome any challenge that came before him and would eventually achieve his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master. Takashi truly believed that and he also believed that with Pikachu by his side, there was nothing that the two of them couldn't do together. Unfortunately, after what happened today, that simply wasn't the case.

Not only did Takashi and Pikachu fail to capture a wild Pokémon on two separate occasions, the both of them were also thoroughly defeated in their first official battle together. This caused Takashi's mind to be filled with doubt. He started to wonder if Sasuke was right, if he should cut his losses and give being a Pokémon Trainer. Takashi really didn't want to give up, but after remembering how utterly beaten he and Pikachu were, he wondered if he really had any choice in the matter.

Eventually, as he continued treating Pikachu's wounds, Takashi looked inside his backpack for some more medicine. However, instead of pulling out a Potion, the young man found himself pulling out a small piece of cloth with a metal plate placed in the middle. On the plate was a symbol of a star. Although confused by it at first, Takashi soon remembered what this item was and who it belonged too.

"This…is dad's headband…"

Back when his father, Tatsumi, was still alive and he was just a little boy, Takashi remembered that his dad would always carry this headband on him all the time. He would also wear it whenever he entered a Pokémon Battle, believing that the headband would give him some extra strength. While those around him believed that it made look silly, like some character from an anime series, Takashi thought it made his dad look cool.

Just thinking about all this put a smile on Takashi's face and as he continued to look at it, he soon remembered how it got inside his backpack. Before Tatsumi died he entrusted the headband to his son and, while he was packing his things for his Journey, Takashi must've put it in his backpack by mistake. Looking at made him think about his father, but it also made him think about something Tatsumi said to him during another time he felt depressed.

 _Listen son and never forget this. Believe in yourself. Even if you get knocked down, beaten, or made fun of, don't ever give up on yourself…or what you're trying to achieve. If you say you're going to become a Pokémon Master…then commit yourself completely to that goal and don't let anyone say anything different. Believe in yourself, Takashi. But not in the Takashi I have faith in…and not in the me that you believe in either. Believe in the Takashi Nakamura who believes in himself…and in the strength of his Pokémon._

After he finished thinking about his father's words, Takashi realized that he was right. If he gave up now then everything that he's been striving for all his life would've been for nothing. No matter how bad he feels about what happened today, Takashi couldn't bring himself to do that. Takashi vowed that he would become a Pokémon Master and even if it took him the rest of his life he is going to achieve that goal. Because of that, as he firmly clinched his father's headband in his hand, Takashi let out a small smirk as he stared up high into the sky.

"Thanks…Dad."

As the smile on his face steadily grew bigger, Takashi heard a slight moan coming from right next to him and saw that it was Pikachu. The young man then immediately turned his little friend, pleased by the fact that it was beginning to regain consciousness. However, as it began to wake up, Pikachu steadily remembered its defeat at the hands of Sasuke's Charmander. This left it feeling quite depressed, believing that it let Takashi down.

Fortunately for Pikachu, its Trainer didn't see it that way and proceeded to gently rub the top of its head. It then looked up at him and saw that Takashi was smiling. In reality, Takashi wasn't upset with Pikachu for losing at all. Instead, the young Trainer was actually proud of his partner.

"It's okay Pikachu…" He said. "You did the best you could…and that's all anyone could ask of you."

While continuing to pet Pikachu's head, Takashi thought about the battle against Sasuke and Charmander. Despite the fact that it wasn't that long ago since he first saw him, Sasuke has grown incredibly strong. The way he commanded his Pokémon was extremely impressive and the strength of his Charmander was just as impressive. Although he didn't want to admit it, Takashi knew that both he and Pikachu were outclassed in that battle and that Sasuke and Charmander were the stronger team. Still, despite coming to that realization, Takashi refused to let it stay that way.

"Listen Pikachu…" He continued, looking the Pokémon right in the eye. "We're weak. There's simply no getting around that. We're weak and that's the reason why we lost. Still…this isn't the end. We're going to get stronger, Pikachu. Even if it's just a little bit at a time…we'll get stronger. Then, when we met that Sasuke guy again, we'll be the ones who win. It's not going to be easy and I can't do it alone…so will you help me Pikachu?"

Taking his hand, Takashi extended it out towards Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon then looked at it for a moment before looking up at Takashi. Despite the fact that they lost and the two of them were still very weak, Takashi believed that, with enough time, they could become much stronger. Just hearing him say that brought a smile on Pikachu's face, slowly restoring its confidence. Because of that, the Electric-Type gently nodded its head towards Takashi before places its paw upon his hand.

Once Pikachu did that both it and Takashi shook hands, signifying the promise they just made to get stronger together. After that, Takashi then allowed his little partner to hop upon his shoulder before grabbing his things and continuing on his way to Viridian City. As he walked, Takashi decided to put his desire to capture a wild Pokémon on hold for a moment. Until the time came he believed that both he and Pikachu have grown a bit stronger, Takashi will focus on building their strength and not capture any Pokémon.

Soon though, as Takashi continued thinking to himself, Pikachu looked towards the horizon and saw something blocking their path. When it alerted Takashi of this, the young man looked on and saw that it was a wild Spearow. However, it wasn't just any Spearow but the same one that Pikachu battle when they first encountered it and its flock. From the expression that was on its face, Spearow was upset about how Pikachu attacked it and was determined to finally settle things with the Mouse Pokémon.

Upon seeing this, Takashi and Pikachu faced one another before nodding their heads in unison. The two of them knew that this was the chance they needed to redeem themselves after their defeat earlier. Not only that, but there was always the chance that Spearow might call for the rest of its flock if the two of them decide not to battle. Unwilling to let that happen, Takashi let Pikachu off of his shoulder before proceeded to grab his father's headband. He then went on to take off his hat before going on to tie the headband around his head.

"Okay Pikachu…Let's do this!"

Letting out a loud cry, Pikachu's cheeks started giving off a few sparks of electricity just as the Mouse Pokémon started running towards its opponent. In response, Spearow quickly took the skies and began making its way towards Pikachu as well. As the two Pokémon were about to collide, Takashi proceeded to make his first move of the match.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Responding immediately, Pikachu greatly increased its speed and rapidly closed the distance between itself and Spearow. Although surprised by how fast Pikachu was running, Spearow reacted just in time and managed to avoid the attack by flying up into the air. When he saw that, Takashi immediately realized that he was in trouble due to the fact that Spearow could fly while Pikachu could not. Even so, he wasn't about to let that stop him.

"Don't stop Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"

Nodding its head, Pikachu stopped running and began firing off several small blasts of electricity towards Spearow. Unfortunately, due to its superior mobility, Spearow managed to easily avoid all of Pikachu's attacks. The Flying-Type Pokémon then dove straight towards its opponent and managed to strike Pikachu with a barrage of Peck attacks. Although the attacks weren't all that powerful, the repeated strikes were quickly and gradually beginning to take their toll. Because of that, Takashi knew that he needed to do something quick before it was too late.

As he tried to come up with an idea, Takashi started to recall his battle against Sasuke and his Charmander. During that battle, Charmander managed to block Pikachu's attack by catching it at the last second. Taking inspiration from that, the young Pokémon Trainer decided to use a similar tactic.

"Pikachu!" He called out. "Stay where you are!"

Managing to separate itself from Spearow from a moment, Pikachu turned its head towards Takashi, wondering what he could be thinking. However, after seeing the determined look on his face, the Mouse Pokémon decided to put its trust in its Trainer. With that, Pikachu stood its ground and braced itself as Spearow started flying towards it again. Once it got close enough, Spearow managed to strike Pikachu in the gut with another strong Peck attack.

"Alright Pikachu, stay strong and grab a hold of Spearow!"

Once again nodding its head, Pikachu gritted its teeth as it tried to withstand the power of Spearow's assault. It then used its tail to stop itself from being pushed by its opponent before grabbing a hold of it. As soon as Pikachu did so, Takashi was able to make his next move.

"Now, use Thunder Shock before it can get away!"

Again complying too Takashi's command, Pikachu used all of its strength to unleash a powerful burst of electricity. The power of the attack managed to deal a great deal of damage towards Spearow, prompting the Flying-Type to use all of its strength to break free of Pikachu's grip. However, despite managing to get away, it was clear that Spearow was in a lot of pain, evening the odds in the battle.

Now, with Pokémon clearly exhausted, Takashi knew that the next exchange of blows would be the end. As a result, he tried to come up with a strategy that would allow Pikachu to achieve victory. While trying to do so, an extremely upset Spearow decided to finish this by diving towards Pikachu at an incredible speed. It then started spinning its body around like a top, becoming a make-shift drill in the process. Knowing that Pikachu would lose if Spearow managed to connect with its attack, Takashi decided to take a gamble the plan he just managed to come up with.

"Pikachu, make your way towards a tree!"

Acting right away, Pikachu quickly looked around the area until he finally found a tree. It then used Quick Attack to swiftly make its way towards it. Once it finally arrived, Pikachu watched as the spinning Spearow was about strike it with its powerful beak. It was at that instant that Takashi made the call that would decide this battle.

"Now…Jump!"

After waiting for precisely the right moment, Pikachu quickly jumped and managed to avoid Spearow's attack. Not only that, but by doing so, Pikachu caused Spearow to ram itself right into the tree. This resulted in not only Spearow being dealt some serious damage, but the Tiny Bird Pokémon also found itself unable to move as its beak was stuck within the tree.

When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon turned its head towards Takashi, who simply nodded in response. The both of them knew that if they were going to win this battle then it has to be now. Because of that, Takashi tighten his headband even more before having Pikachu launch its final attack.

"Now Pikachu…use Quick Attack!"

Nodding its head at its Trainer, Pikachu turned back towards Spearow and watched as it continued to free itself from the tree. Once it finally managed to do so, Pikachu immediately sprinted towards its opponent at a blinding speed. By the time Spearow turned itself around, Pikachu had already closed the distance between them and there was no time for it to get away. As a result, Spearow found itself being slammed into the tree again, this time with enough force to actually put a small hole in it.

Once Takashi saw this he immediately made his way towards Pikachu and Spearow in order to get a better look at the both of them. When he finally reached them he saw that although it was a bit injured, Pikachu looked like it could still battle some more. However, the same couldn't be said for Spearow as Pikachu's final attack completely rendered it unable to continue. Because of that, a large smile quickly appeared on Takashi's face as it knew what this meant.

"We…did it…" He said to himself. "We Won!"

Letting out a loud and heartfelt scream, Takashi quickly made his way towards Pikachu and gave his partner a big hug. At first, Pikachu was a bit surprised by how sudden this hug was, but quickly accepted it and responded with a hug of its own. After that, Takashi went on to place Pikachu onto his shoulder before taking his headband off of his head. He then nodded at the head piece for a moment before placing it into his pocket and putting his hat back on his head.

Shortly after this, Takashi and Pikachu turned their attention back towards Spearow and saw that it was beginning to stir again. Although the thought of catching the Flying-Type crossed his mind, Takashi told himself that both he and Pikachu still needed to improve some more before bringing on the next member of their team. Because of that, Takashi decided to do something else instead and proceeded to pull a Potion from out of his backpack. He then sprayed it on Spearow, allowing the medicine to take its effect on the Pokémon.

Right away, Spearow was surprised by Takashi's action and was confused by he would go out of his way to heal it after the battle that it just had with Pikachu. Once Takashi finally finished tending to Spearow, he turned and sprayed his Pikachu with the Potion before putting it back into his backpack. He then turned to face Spearow again with a small smile on his face.

"Thanks for the great battle…" He said. "Let's battle again someday."

Upon hearing him say that, Spearow's eyes lit up. Takashi wasn't trying to trick it or anything when he tended to its wounds. He simply wanted to make sure that it was okay and that it didn't suffer any lasting damage. Not only that, but he also thanked it for the battle that it had with Pikachu. This surprised Spearow as most the humans that it would encounter would try and capture it and the others of its flock. Because of that, Spearow stared at Takashi and Pikachu for a moment before nodding at them and flying away.

While watching Spearow fly, Takashi could tell right away what the Pokémon was trying to say when it nodded its head at him. That nod was Spearow's way of saying that it was thankful for the good battle as well, so much so that it wouldn't call for the rest of its flock for help like it would normally do. This put another smile on the young Trainer's face as he felt, even if it's just a tiny bit, that he took his first step towards achieving his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. With that, he turned to face Pikachu again.

"Alright partner…Let's get going."

Pikachu smiled and nodded its head in agreement. It then happily sat on his shoulder as Takashi continued walking down the path towards their next destination.

* * *

Viridian City, a small urban area that's about a day's walk from Pallet Town, is place widely known as the City of Evergreen. This is due in large part to the massive forest that's just beyond the city, which became known as the Viridian Forest. For beginning Pokémon Trainers, this place is usually one of their first stops on their Journey and will usually spend their time here resting and preparing themselves for the greater challenges that lay before them.

This was the case for two Pokémon Trainers named Kyle and Amy, both of whom reside right here in Viridian City. The two of them have been Trainers for about a month and they spent that time preparing themselves as they got ready to finally leave home and venture out in to world with their Pokémon. During their last day in Viridian City, Kyle and Amy were busy relaxing in the park, enjoying the peaceful sights of their hometown as it will be a long time before they could enjoy it again.

"So…what are you going to do once you're on your Journey?" Kyle asked Amy as he ate an ice cream cone.

"I'm not sure…" Amy responded, eating her own ice cream cone. "But I'm thinking about challenging the Pewter Gym. What about you?"

Just as Kyle was about to answer his friend's question, the young man heard something strange and turned his attention towards where it was coming from. Amy, though confused at first, went on to do the same and watched as something came out from a grassy bush. What they saw was two small Pokémon, one that resembled a small purple rabbit with spines all over its body, large front teeth, long ears, and dark red eyes. The other Pokémon looked like a fusion of a pig and a monkey with light brown fur, red eyes, and prehensile tail with a curved tip. Upon looking at the both of them, Kyle stood up as he knew what they were.

"Cool…a Nidoran and a Mankey!"

Having seen these two Pokémon before while reading a book, Kyle became extremely excited over the fact that they were standing right in front of him. He then quickly realized that he had the opportunity to capture them and add them both to his team. As a result, the young man quickly pulled out a PokéBall that happened to contain one of his Pokémon. He then proceeded to press the button on the ball, causing it to expand until it could completely fit in the palm of his hand.

Before Kyle could throw the PokéBall however, Amy went on to grab his wrist and stop him. This prompted Kyle to look at her with a confused expression on his face, but the young woman simply turned her attention towards the two Pokémon. When Kyle did the same he saw that both Nidoran and Mankey weren't focused on him and Amy at all. They were instead focusing on the food that they had in their possession.

"Can't you see…?" Amy asked her friend. "These little guys are clearly starving. How can you even think about capturing them when they're like that?"

Amy let out a small sigh, obviously disappointed by Kyle's thoughtless actions. She then went on to put her ice cream down for a moment before going into her backpack and trying to search for some Pokémon Food. When he saw her do that, Kyle started to feel bad and went on to do the same thing. Unfortunately for the two Trainers however, both Mankey and Nidoran went on to snicker quietly to themselves once they saw both Kyle and Amy distracted.

Acting quickly, Mankey rushed over towards the two ice cream cones and grabbed them both in each of its hands. Once it had them, Nidoran then went on to grab any more food that it could find before running off with its partner. By the time Kyle and Amy finally found some Pokémon Food, the two of them saw that not only were the two Pokémon were gone, but so was their food. It was at that moment that they realized what just happened, prompting them both to immediately chase after the two Pokémon.

"Hey, get back here you thieves!" Amy demanded.

"Give us back our food!" Kyle followed.

Kyle and Amy tried their best to catch up to Nidoran and Mankey, but it obvious that they were simply too slow. The Pokémon were naturally more agile and are body to push themselves much harder than a human. Because of that, they were able to widen the gap between themselves and Kyle and Amy very easily before finally losing them entirely. Unfortunately for Nidoran and Mankey, there was one who could keep up with the two of them and this individual quickly, yet quietly, chased after them.

Eventually, Nidoran and Mankey stopped at a nearby alley and went on to eat the food that they managed to steal. They started off with the ice cream and although it was melting, it still tasted very good. However, before they could dig in and eat all the other food, something suddenly rained down from the sky and landed in between them. Upon a closer inspection, Mankey and Nidoran saw that it was a rather soapy substance. This prompted them to look up and they saw that a small, masked, Pokémon was staring down at them both.

As Mankey and Nidoran wondered who this Pokémon could be, the Masked Pokémon quickly got to work and jumped down to confront the two of them. It then rushed over towards Mankey at an incredible speed before knocking it down with a powerful slap of its hand. Seeing this prompted Nidoran to run over and charge towards the mysterious Pokémon with the large horn on its head. However, the Masked Pokémon simply jumped out of the way, causing it to crash into Mankey.

With both Pokémon down, the Masked Pokémon went on to take a deep breath as it waited for the two of them to stand. Once Mankey and Nidoran finally did manage to get back up, the Masked Pokémon exhaled and unleashed a large barrage of bubbles from its mouth. These bubbles were incredibly dense and upon making contact with the two thieving Pokémon, promptly knocked them down to the ground, rendering them both unconscious. Once the battle was over, the Masked Pokémon made sure that all of Kyle and Amy's belongings were present before jumping away like some kind of ninja.

By the time Kyle and Amy finally managed to arrive the two Trainers were shocked by what they were seeing. Both Mankey and Nidoran were knocked out and all of their stuff, with the exception of the ice cream, was still there. While the two of them were somewhat relieved by this, they were mostly left very confused by this sudden turn of events.

"What's…going on?" Kyle and Amy thought to themselves.

Meanwhile, as the two Pokémon Trainers slowly started to gather their things, they were unknowingly being watched the Masked Pokémon. It silently observed them from on top of a large roof and pleased that they managed to find their stuff. Once it determined that they had everything, the Masked Pokémon then went on to jump from roof to roof towards its next destination.

While all of this was going on however, there was someone else observing this particular incident. Standing in the shadows, this individual looked on as it watched the Masked Pokémon jump away from sight. Just seeing it caused him to let out a small, yet fiendish smile before proceeding to walk deeper into the darkness.

"Finally…I've found it."

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter Preview**_

 _After having a bit of a rough start, Takashi and Pikachu are slowly progressing through their Pokémon Journey and they soon arrive at their first stop; Viridian City. Once there, the two of them not only encounter the mysterious Masked Pokémon who resides in the city, but also another Pokémon that seems very familiar. Just who are these two Pokémon and what are the intentions of the mysterious individual who was watching the Masked Pokémon from the shadows?_

 _Next Time, Chapter 4: The Boy and the Frog – Part 1_

 _ **Announcements**_

 **Spirit Reader:** _Hey guys, this is Spirit Reader with a quick announcement. It's been a long time, but here's chapter 3 of Pokémon – Thunder Yellow. I know it's a long time coming and I want to thank all of you for waiting for as long as you have. Although I can't guarantee that there won't be another long hiatus like this, I'll try my best to make them less frequent. Until the next chapter comes out, please tell me your thoughts with a review. Your comments are greatly appreciated._

 _Well, that's it for now. Until next time this is Spirit Reader signing out!_


	4. Chapter 4

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 4:** _The Boy and the Frog – Part 1_

* * *

"We've finally arrived at our first stop, Pikachu. We made it to Viridian City."

As Pikachu happily nodded its head as it sat upon its Trainer's shoulder, Takashi Nakamura was busy observing the landscape before them. The two of them have finally arrived at Viridian City, the first destination in their long Pokémon Journey. It took nearly an entire day to get there as the sun was already beginning to set and day was transitioning into night. Even so, Takashi was happy that he and Pikachu were able to make it, as it meant that they've accomplished their first goal as a team.

After taking a moment to reflect on everything that they've been through over the last couple of hours, Takashi entered the city limits and began sightseeing. For the majority of his life, the young man has spent most of his life in the confines of Pallet Town, which is known to be very small and peaceful. By comparison, Viridian City was much livelier and filled hundreds of more people. Because of this, Takashi felt both excitement and fear as he and Pikachu made their way through the city as this was something he wasn't used too.

While the young Trainer was busy observing the sites his Pikachu was simply trying to get use to what it was experiencing. Unlike Takashi, who lived in a small town, Pikachu spent the majority of its life in a forest, isolated from humans and their culture. As a result, Pikachu was completely overwhelmed and was having a hard time processing it all. Everything from the tall building to the hundreds of people walking the streets were foreign to Pikachu, causing the Electric-Type to wonder if it will continue to see such things while traveling with Takashi.

Soon, as Takashi and Pikachu continued walking down the city streets, the latter started picking up the scent of something rather tasty. This was due to Pikachu's sense of smell, which was far superior to that of a human. As the aroma became more and more flavorful, Pikachu's mouth began to water slightly and it soon started looking around for the source of the scent. After about a minute, the Mouse Pokémon picked up on the location and quickly jumped of Takashi's shoulder before racing towards it.

"Hey Pikachu…!" Takashi called, watching as his Pokémon dashed towards an unknown location. "Where are you going?!"

Confused by Pikachu's sudden behavior, Takashi wondered what exactly caused his partner to act in such a way. Did it see something that peeked its interest or was it something else entirely? In either event it didn't really matter as he knew that he couldn't let Pikachu run off by itself. With that in mind, Takashi quickly gave chase and tried his best to catch up to his Pokémon.

Eventually, once he reached a certain distance, Takashi's nose finally managed to pick up on the same scent that Pikachu smelled earlier. Once he did that, the young man quickly deduced that it was the reason why Pikachu ran off towards it. Given the fact that the two of them haven't really eaten since their battle against the wild Spearow, Takashi understood that Pikachu was very hungry. Just thinking about that made him feel hungry as well, causing him to run even faster so that he could see what was the source of that delicious smell.

Before too long, Pikachu finally stopped and when Takashi caught up with it he was able to determine the smell's source. The scent was coming from a small bread stand that was sectioned in between two large buildings. The aroma of the bread was so great that both Trainer and Pokémon's jaws dropped as saliva started to come out. They then began to reach out towards the bread, intending to have a bite of the delicious looking pastries. However, before they could do so, something immediately shot out from the stand and struck them both in the face.

Taken back from the sudden assault, both Takashi and Pikachu fell towards the ground. The former was the first to recover and quickly examined the object that hit him. It was a foamy substance, almost resembling soap bubbles. Not only that, but it was also rather wet as well. After checking to see that Pikachu was alright, and rubbing the substance off of its face, Takashi stood up and started looking around the inside of the stand.

"Um…Hello," He called. "Is anyone here?"

As Takashi looked for the one that attacked him, Pikachu quickly jumped onto the bread stand and started to do the same. Once it did so however, another soapy substance began making its way towards it. This time however, the Mouse Pokémon was able to avoid the attack and quickly turned its attention towards the direction it came from. When Takashi did the same he was finally able to find the attacker.

The one who attacked him and Pikachu was actually a small, frog-looking Pokémon. It had light blue skin and wide yellow eyes with black irises. However, the Pokémon's most prominent feature was the mane of bubbles that covered a portion of its chest, back, and a portion of its nose. Having never seen a Pokémon like it before, Takashi quickly pulled out his PokéDex and used it in order to get some information.

" _Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon."_ The PokéDex explained. _"From its body, Froakie creates bubbles called Frubbles, which act as a cushion and soften the blow of an opponent's attack. It is always alert to any changes to its environment. Froakie is a Water-Type Pokémon."_

Once his PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi put it back into his pocket before going back to looking at Froakie. As this was the first time he's ever seen one before, the young man was highly impressed by the Pokémon's appearance. Not only that, but after realizing that it was Froakie's Frubbles that struck him and Pikachu earlier, the young man's impression of the Water-Type Pokémon only grew even more.

"Wow…You're pretty cool," He said with a smile.

"…Why thank you,"

Upon hearing someone reply to his statement, Takashi's eyes widen suddenly as he quickly took a few steps back. At first, the young Trainer thought that the one who spoke to him was Froakie. However, he quickly dismissed that claim after remembering that Pokémon can't speak like a human. Not only that, but he also noticed that the voiced seemed rather womanly as well. As a result, he looked around the area until he finally managed to find the one who spoke to him.

Takashi saw that voice came from a middle aged woman with light blue eyes and black hair that was beginning to grey a little. She had somewhat of a petite frame, being a bit shorter that him and had a kind disposition to her. The woman then went on to smile at Takashi, who quickly responded with a quick bow.

"Why good evening young man," The woman said to him. "My name is Haru…And as you've just discovered, the little guy watching my bread stand is my friend, Froakie. Now, may I ask what you and your Pikachu are doing?"

"Oh…My name is Takashi, ma'am," The young man replied. "Excuse me if it looked like we were causing trouble. It's just that my Pikachu and I caught a whiff of your bread…and it smelled so delicious. I'm sorry if it seemed like we were able to steal some."

Takashi bowed towards Haru one more time, with his Pikachu jumping on his head before proceeding to do the same. As they did so, Haru smiled at them both before extending her hand out towards them. Right away, the woman could tell that neither one of them meant any harm and was actually quite flattered that they openly admitted that her bread smelt so good. However, Haru knew that Takashi and Pikachu couldn't truly appreciate her creation until they tasted it firsthand. With that, Haru made her way inside of her bread stand.

Once inside, the old woman went on to greet Froakie, thanking the little Pokémon for guarding her shop while she was away. She then proceeded to open a small refrigerator and quickly pulled out 2 loafs of bread. After determining that they were good enough, Haru walked up towards Takashi and went on to hand both him and Pikachu the bread, surprising them.

"Are you sure ma'am?" Takashi questioned. "I mean…Shouldn't I pay you first?"

"It's quite alright," Haru answered. "Besides, I can tell that both you and your Pikachu are really hungry. Consider it a treat from a kind old woman."

Takashi stared at Haru for a moment, wondering if he should really accept her offer and take the bread that she was offering him. After taking a moment to think about it, the young man looked towards his Pikachu, who went on to nod its head at him. Just seeing that reassured him, prompting Takashi to turn back towards Haru and gently take the bread from her hand. He then proceeded to hand one of the loafs over to Pikachu before the two each took a bite.

As soon as they bit into the bread, Takashi's and Pikachu's eyes both lit up at the same time. Out of all of the things the two of them have eaten before, this bread was by far one of the most delicious. Because of that, both them started devouring it down like it was the last piece of food on Earth. When Haru saw that, the old woman started giggling to herself as another smile appeared on her face.

"Well, I'm glad that you two enjoying it so much."

While Haru continued smiling at them, Takashi glanced over towards Froakie for a moment and saw that it was looking at him. Given the blank expression that was on its face, Takashi couldn't really tell what the Water-Type was thinking. However, as it continued to look at him, the young Trainer somehow got the feeling that Froakie was examining him for some reason. This confused Takashi, prompting him to stop eating and focus all of his attention on Froakie.

Eventually, as the two of them continued to stare at one another, both Haru and Pikachu took notice of this. This site was rather surprising to the former, as Haru knew that Froakie hardly paid any attention to any human other than herself. Because of that, Haru wondered why Froakie seemed so fixated on Takashi and what it could all mean. Eventually, the old woman decided to think about that later and soon turned her attention solely back towards Takashi.

"So…" She continued. "Based on how clean your clothes are, you're probably a brand new Pokémon Trainer. Am I right?"

"…That's right, ma'am," Takashi replied after turning his focus away from Froakie. "I just started earlier this morning."

"I see. Well in that case, you probably need a nice place to spend the night. There's a building not too far from here called a Pokémon Center. If you head over there both you and your Pokémon can rest up and be fully prepared for the adventures you're soon to have."

Once Haru finished saying that, Takashi quickly pulled out his PokéGear and used it to find out just where exactly this Pokémon Center was located. After seeing that it was just a few blocks away, he nodded his head and went on to put the device away. He then looked back towards Haru and nodded at her as well.

"Alright, we'll head over there right now." Takashi bowed towards Haru one last time. "Thanks for the information, Ms. Haru…and thanks for the delicious bread."

Haru smiled as she nodded her head towards Takashi, who proceeded to happily do the same. Shortly after that, Takashi turned his focus back towards Froakie for a moment and saw that the Bubble Frog Pokemon was still looking straight at him. Due to its blank expression, Takashi wasn't able to tell what Froakie was thinking about as it stared at him, causing the young man to feel a bit confused. It's due to this confusion that he failed to notice what came next.

As Takashi continued to look at Froakie, something suddenly appeared and snatched the piece of bread that he was eating from out of his hand. He then went on to bite his fingers, not realizing that the bread was gone until he was already in pain. While he attempted to shake off the pain, Pikachu looked around and soon spotted the ones who stole Takashi's bread, alerting its Trainer to the culprits.

"What the heck…?" He said, confused by what he was seeing. "Pokémon…?"

Raising his eyebrow a bit, Takashi looked on as two wild Pokémon stared back at him and Pikachu. These Pokemon were Mankey and Nidoran, two individuals known for causing all kinds of mischief here in Viridian City. The two of them loved causing problems for the citizens, especially new Pokémon Trainers. Because of that, Mankey and Nidoran snickered at Takashi before going out of their way to devour the piece of bread that they stole. Once they did that, they then ran off into the big city streets.

Upon seeing them flee the area, Takashi quickly became angered by Mankey's and Nidoran's actions and decided to go after them. Because of that, the young Trainer turned his attention towards Pikachu, who silently responded with a quick nod. It then went on to quickly finish eating its loaf of bread before jumping onto Takashi's shoulder. As soon as he saw that Pikachu was secure, Takashi quickly gave chase after the two fleeing Pokémon.

"Oh dear…" Haru said, sighing quietly to herself. "This could be troublesome. Froakie, would you be a dear and…"

Before Haru could finish her sentence, the old woman looked on and saw that Froakie was no longer at the bread stand. However, instead of being shocked by the Pokémon's sudden disappearance, Haru simply let out a small smile. She then went on to get her stand ready for tomorrow's activities.

Meanwhile, as they raced through the city streets, Takashi and Pikachu continued their pursuit of Mankey and Nidoran. The two wild Pokémon were extremely quick and knew the city well, but Takashi wasn't about to let them get away. Even if it was just a piece of bread, Takashi wasn't about to stand by and allow someone to steal from him, whether it be people or Pokémon. It's due to this resolve that he and Pikachu managed to keep pace and were soon able to corner the Pokémon once they reached a dead end at a nearby alley.

Once Mankey and Nidoran saw that they couldn't escape, the two of them angrily turned their attention towards Takashi and prepared to confront him. Upon seeing that, Pikachu quickly jump off Takashi's shoulder and prepared to confront the two of them. This resulted in a standoff between the 3 Pokemon, giving Takashi time to pull out his PokéDex and see just who he and Pikachu were about to fight.

" _Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon,"_ The PokéDex stated. _"Mankey flies into a rage at the slightest provocation. These fits of temper are usually preceded by violent tremors, but there's rarely enough time to get away. Mankey is a Fighting-Type Pokémon."_

After the PokéDex finished its explanation on Mankey, Takashi turned it towards Nidoran next.

" _Nidoran (Male), the Poison Pin Pokémon. Nidoran has excellent hearing and, thanks to specialized muscles, it can move and rotate its ears to pick up the slightest sound. Nidoran is a Poison-Type Pokemon."_

As soon as the PokéDex finished talking about Nidoran, Takashi quickly pulled the device back into his pocket and quickly brace himself for battle. Pikachu went on to do the same, releasing several sparks of electricity from its cheeks. Although surprised by Pikachu's burst of power, Mankey and Nidoran stood firm and prepared themselves to confront the Electric-Type. After about a minute, the battle between the 3 Pokémon finally began.

Mankey went on to make the first move, dashing towards Pikachu as it prepared to strike it with a powerful Karate Chop attack. Nidoran quickly followed, charging towards Pikachu with an equally powerful Horn Attack.

"Pikachu, dodge those attacks!" Takashi commanded.

Pikachu gently nodded its head as it waited for both of its opponents to get closer. Once the two of them reached a certain distance, Pikachu used its superior speed to avoid Mankey's and Nidoran's respective attacks and get behind them. Once he saw that, Takashi smiled as he went on to make his next move.

"Good work Pikachu! Now use Quick Attack!"

Right away, Pikachu let out another nod as it quickly dashed towards Mankey at an incredible speed. It then slammed its body right into the Pokémon's chest, causing Mankey to be sent flying backwards. Upon seeing that, Nidoran attempted to strike back with another Horn Attack. However, just as it was about to charge towards it, Pikachu was already right in front of Nidoran and went on to slam it backwards as well.

For about a minute, this is how the battle went with Pikachu using its greater speed to overcome both of its foes. Watching his Pokémon do so well put a huge smile on Takashi's face, as this was an indication of both his and Pikachu's progress. Shortly after their defeat against Sasuke Himura, the two of them spent the last couple of hours training and trying to hone their skills. Takashi wanted to make sure that what happened during his battle with Sasuke wouldn't happen again and he was pleased to see that was the case. Unfortunately, Takashi and Pikachu's quick success were making them overconfident, resulting in them making a key mistake.

While Pikachu continued to use its speed to overwhelm its opponents, Mankey was finally able to see how the Mouse Pokemon was moving around. This enabled it to predict Pikachu's movements, allowing Mankey to run up and trip Pikachu with a powerful Low Sweep attack. Once it hit the ground, Pikachu started holding its right leg, indicating that Mankey's attack injured it.

"Pikachu!" Takashi called, clearly concerned for his friend. "Look out for Nidoran!"

Pikachu turned its head and saw that Nidoran was charging towards it, preparing to strike with its Horn Attack. It tried to avoid it again, but the injury it sustained from Mankey's attack was hampering its movements. As a result, while it was able to avoid a critical hit, Pikachu struck by Nidoran's attack, injuring it further. Seeing that gave both Mankey and Nidoran the opportunity they needed to overpower Pikachu before it had the chance to recover.

Despite trying its best to fend off its opponents, Pikachu found it difficult to fight back against Mankey and Nidoran's combined assault. If it managed to avoid one strike, it would simply be met by another one. This resulted in the Mouse Pokemon receiving several injuries, gradually weakening it further and further. Even so, Pikachu kept on fighting, determined to defeat Mankey and Nidoran no matter what.

Eventually, as the battle continued and Pikachu continued to get pummeled, Takashi decided to step in and stop this from continuing. Because of that, Mankey and Nidoran started attacking him as well. Fortunately, before the two of them could finish things, something suddenly shot down from the sky and separated the two groups. All 4 of them then looked up and saw something staring down at them from on top of roof. It was a something that both Mankey and Nidoran have seen plenty of times, causing them both to back away slightly.

"The heck…?" Takashi said, confused by what he was seeing. "A Pokemon…who wears a mask?"

Jumping down from on top of the roof, the Masked Pokémon of Viridian City landed skillfully on the ground and slowly started making its way towards Mankey and Nidoran. As they watched it do that, the two Pokemon started to recall all of their encounters with this mysterious Pokémon, which always ended in their defeat. Determined to change that, Mankey and Nidoran turned their attention away from Takashi and Pikachu and began charging towards the Masked Pokemon.

As Takashi and Pikachu looked on, the two of them were amazed by what they were seeing. The Masked Pokémon, despite being smaller than both of its opponents, was able to easily jump over them before their attacks could connect. It then pulled out two foamy-like objects from its back and threw them at Nidoran and Mankey, blinding the two Pokémon. Once they couldn't see anymore, the Masked Pokémon then went on to fire several rounds of bubbles at the two bullies, injuring them significantly due to the bubbles density.

Shortly after that, Mankey and Nidoran slowly picked themselves back up from off the ground. The damage they received from their battle against Pikachu was beginning to take its toll, but they were determined to finally settle things with the Masked Pokémon. Upon seeing that however, the Masked Pokémon decided to settle things as well. However, it didn't do that by fighting. Instead, the Masked Pokémon used its powers to create several clones of itself to surround both Mankey and Nidoran.

Surprised by what he was seeing, Takashi wondered if the Masked Pokémon was using some kind of move and he decided to use his PokéDex in order to get an answer. When he did, the young man learned that the technique was called Double Team, a move that allows a Pokemon to avoid attacks by creating illusionary clones of themselves. Seeing it in action like this greatly impressed Takashi and Pikachu, causing them to wonder just who this Masked Pokémon really is.

As for Mankey and Nidoran, the both of them were extremely intimidated by the vast number of Masked Pokémon, being unable to tell which one was the real one. As a result, the two of them quickly gave in to their fear and promptly fled the scene. Once they were gone, the Masked Pokémon undid its illusion, causing all of its clones to vanish from sight. It then turned its focus towards Takashi and Pikachu, wanting to make sure that they were both okay.

"Um…Thank you," Takashi spoke, trying to comprehend what he just saw. "You saved me and my Pikachu."

Quietly staring at the two of them, the Masked Pokémon gently nodded its head at Takashi and Pikachu. It then proceeded to jump high into the air, landing on the edge of a nearby roof. Once it got there, the Pokémon then took a moment to look back down at Takashi and Pikachu again, particularly the former. At the same, Takashi stared up at the Masked Pokemon, sensing something familiar about it. Soon though, the Pokémon finally took its leave and Takashi and Pikachu were left all alone.

As soon as they were alone, Takashi looked over towards Pikachu and proceeded to gently rub the top of its head, proud of how well it battled. The young man then got ready to leave, intending to head to the Pokémon Center that Haru told him about. However, before he could leave the alley, Pikachu took note of the soapy object that the Masked Pokémon used earlier. When Takashi picked it up, the young man saw that it felt like Froakie's Frubbles, which put a thought into his mind.

"…Could it be?"

Meanwhile, in another section of the city, Mankey and Nidoran continued running in order to get away from the Masked Pokémon. Once the two of them finally stopped, both Pokémon felt ashamed from having to flee like they did. This was especially true for Mankey, who quickly became furious with itself and began destroying the area around it with powerful Karate Chops. By the time it finally settled down, the area that both it and Nidoran were in was completely filled with debris.

"Excellent…Most Excellent…"

Surprised by the voice that just spoke to the two of them, Mankey and Nidoran both jump back as it heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them. As the steps grew louder, the two Pokémon watched as someone suddenly came out of the shadows. This individual was a fairly muscular man who was completely dressed in black and had a fiendish smile on his face. Upon seeing that smile, both Mankey and Nidoran felt extremely unsettled, but they couldn't bring themselves to run away.

"Hello, my friends," The man said to them. "My name is Bruce and I'm here to offer you two something I know you both crave…Revenge!"

* * *

When one becomes a Pokémon Trainers there are a few things that their expected to know if they want to be successful. One of those things is the location of the local Pokémon Center that resides within every major town or city. The reason being is that the Center is the one place where Trainers and their Pokémon can rest and recover after traveling together for so long. This is essential as those who don't rest will never be able to fight at full strength. It's for this reason why Takashi Nakamura made his way over to the Pokémon Center stationed here in Viridian City.

Upon first arriving late last night, the young man was very impressed by what he first saw. The inside of the Pokémon Center was filled with so many things, including video phones, high definition televisions, a food court, and free lodging. The Center also included a small practice field out back, allowing Trainers to get some practice in so that they can perfect their skills. It was precisely the type of place that Takashi and Pikachu needed to be in order to recover from the day's events.

Once he made his way inside, the first thing Takashi did was make his way to the front desk and talk to a woman named Nurse Joy. This beautiful pink haired woman was in charge of the entire Pokémon Center, which also included to tending to any of the injured Pokémon that were sent here. Because of that, Joy was more than happy to heal Takashi's Pikachu after he requested her to do so.

After she had her Pokémon assistant, Chansey, take Pikachu to the back, Joy informed Takashi that his little partner should be fine in the morning and went on to give him a room key so that he could rest up as well. Once that happened, Takashi thanked Nurse Joy and went on to say his goodbyes to Pikachu before making his way to his assigned room. As soon as he made his way over there, the young Trainer quickly went to be, exhausted after everything he went through previously.

The following morning, after taking a nice long shower and getting dressed, Takashi made his way back to the front lobby and waited for Nurse Joy to bring Pikachu back. As he waited, Takashi decided to kill some time by walking around the Pokémon Center. While doing so he managed to get a look of all of the Pokémon that some of the other Trainers brought with him to Center. Not only that, but he also happened across a practice battle a couple of Trainers were having as well. Seeing all of those things was not only very cool for Takashi, but informative as well. However, out of all of the things he saw, there was one thing that caught his interest the most.

What Takashi saw was a poster hanging on one of the side walls. It was advertising something called the Pokémon League, which greatly piqued his interest. This is because heard about the League back when he was in Pallet Town and although he didn't know all of the details, Takashi did know that it was an important event for any aspiring Pokémon Trainer. Because of that, Takashi decided to get a closer look at the poster in order to get some more information. Before he could do so however…

" _Will Takashi Nakamura please come to the front desk? Your Pokémon is now fully recovered. Repeat…Will Takashi Nakamura please come to the front desk? Your Pokémon is now fully recovered."_

Recognizing the voice over the intercom as Nurse Joy's, Takashi reluctantly decided to stop what he was doing and started making his way towards the front desk. As soon as he arrived, the young man met up with Nurse Joy and the two of them were then joined by her Chansey, who was carrying Pikachu on a gurney. After seeing how much better his partner looked, Takashi happily opened his arms and allowed Pikachu to jump into them.

"Good to see that you're feeling better, Pikachu," He said with a smile. He then turned his attention over to Joy. "Thank you for the help, Nurse Joy."

"Don't mention it," Joy happily replied. "I'm glad I could help."

Joy smiled as she gently nodded her head towards Takashi, who responded by doing the same thing. Once he did that, Takashi then turned towards Chansey and silently thanked the kind Pokémon as well. As Chansey prepared to leave in order to get its next patient, Takashi pulled out his PokéDex in order to get some information on the Pokémon.

" _Chansey, the Egg Pokémon,"_ It explained. _"The eggs Chansey produces every day are full of nutrition and flavor. Even people suffering a loss of appetite eat them up with delight. Chansey is a Normal-Type Pokémon."_

After it finished talking, Takashi put his PokéDex back into his pocket. He then glanced over at Chansey as it continued to walk away and saw that it indeed had a large egg in the pouch on its chest. Just seeing it made him feel a bit hungry for eggs, which actually caused him to snicker to himself, much to Pikachu's confusion. Eventually, once the thought of eating eggs vanished from his mind, Takashi prepared himself to leave the Pokémon Center.

Upon making their way outside, Takashi and Pikachu both took a nice and long breath of city air before proceeding to walk around. While doing so, Takashi started thinking about that Pokémon League event that was advertised on that poster he saw. He wondered if that was an event he could enter and, if that were the case, how he could do so. As Takashi continued to think about this, Pikachu noticed something from the corner of its eye and alerted its Trainer to what it saw. This prompted Takashi to turn his head and see what Pikachu saw.

It was soon revealed that thing Pikachu saw was Haru, who was busy holding several large boxes while walking on the other side of the street. Seeing that she was having trouble holding them, Takashi immediately rushed over to her and went on to take a few of her boxes. When she noticed that her load was much lighter, Haru turned her head and smiled when she saw Takashi right next to her.

"Why thank you, young man," She said to him. "I appreciate the help."

"Don't mention it…" Takashi kindly replied. "Just think of it as my way of thanking you for the bread yesterday."

With the boxes safely in his possession, Takashi walked alongside Haru as the two of them made their way over to her bread stand. While doing so, Pikachu wanted to help out and thus proceeded to grab one of the smaller boxes. It then started walking right next to Takashi, causing both him and Haru to let out a small smile.

"So…how was your first night in Viridian City?" Haru asked. "Did anything exciting happen?"

"…You could say that,"

Closing his eyes for a moment, Takashi thought about the events that took place the previous night. Everything from the battle against Mankey and Nidoran to the sudden appearance of Masked Pokémon flashed through his mind. It was an incredible encounter, so much so that Takashi spent about 3 hours thinking about it last night before he finally went to sleep. By the time he reopened his eyes, the young man looked back over at Haru.

"Pikachu and I met some kind of Masked Pokémon. It saved both of us when that Mankey and Nidoran had us cornered."

"I see…" Haru snickered to herself as she listened to Takashi's story. "That Masked Pokémon has been quite busy as of late. Going around the city and helping anyone in need. It's quite the heroic Pokémon…but still…"

Haru stopped herself before she could continue her story, something that Takashi quickly took note of. He wanted to ask her to continue, but decided against it as he felt that it would make her uncomfortable. Because of that, he kept to himself and continued to walk with Haru as they made their way to her shop. By the time they arrived the two of them saw something very interesting.

A Pokémon Battle was taking place right in front of Haru's bread stand. The battle involved two Pokémon Trainers named Jack and Marcus, who were using a Rattata and Spearow respectively. Their opponent, much to Takashi's surprise, was none other than Froakie. While watching Froakie avoid its two opponent's attacks, Takashi wondered why this battle was taking place. Haru noticed the boy's confusion and decided to give him an explanation.

"Look like some Trainers are trying to catch Froakie again," She said.

"Again…?" Takashi questioned. "Wait…I thought Froakie was your Pokémon, ma'am."

"No, Froakie isn't my Pokémon. It's a Wild Pokémon that I found it about half a year ago…shortly after Froakie was abandoned by its former Trainer."

Shocked by this revelation, Takashi looked back over towards Froakie, just as the Bubble Frog Pokémon was too easily to avoid Jack's Spearow. As he watched it battle, the young man wondered why someone would abandon such a cool Pokémon like Froakie. Not only that, he wondered why Trainers would abandon Pokémon at all, believing it to be the worst thing someone could do. He soon continued listening to Haru while also watching Froakie battle.

"Since most Froakie are typically found in the Kalos Region, which is extremely far away, many random Trainers come and try and battle Froakie so that they can capture such a rare Pokémon," She continued. "However, despite how hard they try, Froakie always manages to defeat them."

"I see…" Takashi responded. "I guess that means Froakie doesn't really like humans all that much."

"…Not necessarily," Haru glanced over at Takashi for a quick moment before looking over at Froakie. "Froakie doesn't hate humans at all. It's just very selective of them."

Haru's comment about Froakie being selective piqued Takashi's curiosity and was about to question her about what she meant by that. However, before he could do so, he noticed that Froakie had just knocked down Marcus's Spearow with its Pound attack. Once it was on the ground, Froakie then launched a powerful Bubble attack, which managed to hit both Spearow and Rattata, knocking them both out.

While Takashi looked on, impressed by this incredible display, Pikachu noticed something familiar about the way Froakie just battled. The Mouse Pokémon noted that the way Froakie battled was very similar to how the mysterious Masked Pokémon battled. Not only that, but Pikachu also noticed that Froakie and the Masked Pokémon had a similar scent. It wasn't able to notice this before, due to it being so focused on the battle between Mankey and Nidoran, but was able to tell now and wondered why that is. Pikachu was about to walk over to Froakie, but stopped when it saw Marcus and Jack begin to do the same.

"This isn't over yet, Froakie!" Jack told it.

"That's right!" Marcus followed. "We'll capture you…One way or another!"

Marcus and Jack each pulled out 2 PokéBalls respectively and threw them high into the air. When they did so, the balls opened up and unleashed 4 blasts of light energy that landed on the ground, right in front of Froakie. The energy then transformed into 4 Pokémon; Rattata, Spearow, Pidgey, and Caterpie. The Pokémon then go on to surround the Bubble Frog Pokémon, making sure that it couldn't get away.

As the Pokémon prepared to launch an attack on Froakie, Takashi decided that he couldn't stand by and allow this to happen. Because of that he turned his attention towards Pikachu, who instantly got the message. The electric mouse then proceeded to step in between Jack and Marcus's Pokémon and stand right next to Froakie, much to the Pokémon's confusion.

"Hey…What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Jack questioned Takashi.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Takashi replied. "Don't you think you're taking this a bit too far?!"

"Shut up! Froakies are extremely rare in the Kanto Region. We're not about to let one slip through our fingers…We'll do whatever we have to in order to capture it!"

Jack signaled to both his Caterpie and Spearow to focus on Pikachu while Marcus signaled to his Pidgey and Rattata to focus their attention on Froakie. When they saw that, the two Pokémon braced themselves for battle, standing back to back to one another. Once he saw them do that, Takashi removed his hat from his head before pulling out his father's headband. He then tied it tight around his head, focusing on what was about to happen.

"Alright…Let's do this," He said to himself. "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock on Spearow!"

Acknowledging the order that it was given, Pikachu unleashed a powerful blast of electricity from its cheeks and directed it towards Spearow. However, Spearow was able to easily avoid the attack thanks to its ability to fly. This prompted Pikachu to look up into air so that it could keep an eye on its opponent, taking its attention off of Caterpie for a moment.

"Spearow, use Peck attack!" Jack ordered. "Caterpie, use String Shot!"

Spearow started diving down towards Pikachu, intending to strike it with its extremely sharp beak. Keeping its eye on it, Pikachu prepared itself to dodge the attack, but it was at that moment that Caterpie made its move. Taking aim, the small Bug-Type Pokémon fired a small thread around Pikachu's feet. When it made contact, Pikachu found it extremely hard to move due to the thread's sticking properties. As a result, the Mouse Pokémon was sent skidding backwards after getting hit in the stomach by Spearow's attack.

Although the attack stung a bit, Pikachu was able to shake it off and brush Spearow aside. This caused Takashi to smile, proud that his Pokémon was able to take that attack like it did. The two of them then prepared themselves for the next attack, determined to not let Jack take advantage of them again.

While all of this was going on, Froakie was preparing itself to deal with Marcus's two Pokémon. However, even though it also had 2 opponents to deal with, the Bubble Frog's mind was busy focusing on Takashi and Pikachu's battle. Although the two of them were struggling a bit, neither one of them had any intention of giving up. This greatly impressed Froakie, causing it to take its focus off of its opponents for a moment.

"Now's my chance!" Marcus said to himself. "Rattata, use Bite and Pidgey, use Quick Attack!"

Both of Marcus's Pokémon quickly complied with his command and began making their way towards Froakie. At first, it seemed like Froakie would be blindsided by the two of them, but the Bubble Frog Pokémon was able to easily avoid their attacks by jumping high into the air. It then went on to grab pieces of its Frubbles and throw them at Pidgey and Rattata, hitting them both. This caused the two Pokémon to become immobile, especially Pidgey as Froakie's Frubbles were covering both of its wings.

Once the two of them were unable to move, Froakie then hopped towards Rattata and began slapping the Mouse Pokémon repeatedly with its Pound Attack. The force of each attack was great and since Rattata was still stuck by Froakie's Frubbles, there wasn't anything Marcus could do about it. As a result, Froakie was able to launch one last strike that managed to knock out Rattata. The Water-Type then started making its way over to Pidgey, intending to finish things with it as well.

"Pidgey, break free and use Gust!" Marcus ordered.

With Froakie closing in on it, Pidgey used all of its strength to finally break free of the Frubbles and fly up into the air. Upon seeing that, Froakie jumped up in order to close the distance between the two of them. However, before it could launch another Pound attack, Pidgey started flapping both of its wings as quickly as it could. This created a small windstorm that managed to push Froakie back towards the ground.

Although stunned by the force of Pidgey's attack, Froakie managed to reduce the damage by rolling on the ground upon impact. It then jumped up again and fired a barrage of bubbles at Pidgey. This prompted Pidgey to unleash its Gust attack again, which produce enough wind to destroy all of the bubbles before they managed to make contact. Once that happened, Marcus managed to find the opportunity that he was looking for.

"Now Pidgey, use Air Cutter!"

Again complying too its Trainer's command, Pidgey started flapping its wings as quickly as it could. As it did so, the Tiny Bird Pokémon created small blades of wind which were created from the air pressure that it was exerting. Froakie managed to spot some of these blades and thus it tried its best to avoid them. However, it wasn't able to do so as one of the blades managed to hit it right on its forehead, knocking Froakie back towards the ground. Takashi managed to see this from the corner of his eyes and acted accordingly in order to save Froakie.

"Pikachu, stop what you're doing and catch Froakie!" He yelled.

Seeing that Froakie was getting closer to the ground, Pikachu quickly removed the strands of Caterpie's String Shot from off its feet before using its Quick Attack to jump high into the air. Pikachu then manage to catch Froakie before landing safely on the ground. This action greatly surprised the Bubble Frog Pokémon, who never expected that it would be saved like that. Once Pikachu was sure that Froakie was alright, the Mouse Pokémon then focused its attention on Pidgey.

"Don't get my way, rat!" Marcus yelled. "Pidgey, use Gust!"

"Pikachu, hold your ground and use Thunder Shock!"

Pidgey proceeded to launch another powerful windstorm, with this one coming directly for Pikachu. At first, the Electric-Type had a hard time keeping its footing due to intense wind, but managed to hold itself in place by planting its tail into the ground. Once it was secure, Pikachu then started preparing to fire its electrical attack. It was at that moment however that Jack made his presence known.

"Don't think I'll allow that! Spearow use Peck and Caterpie use Tackle!"

Spearow and Caterpie quickly nodded their heads and rushed over towards Pikachu in order to stop it from launching its attack. Seeing that, Froakie quickly step in between them and launched another barrage of bubbles from its mouth. This caused both of Jack's Pokémon to dodge the bubbles, disrupting their flow of movement. It's thanks to this that Pikachu gathered enough power to unleash its Thunder Shock attack, electrocuting Pidgey upon contact. Pikachu then started dashing towards the Tiny Bird Pokémon as it started falling towards the ground.

"Pikachu, now use Quick Attack!"

In what seemed like an instant, Pikachu's speed suddenly increased by several fold as it ran towards Pidgey. It then slammed its entire body into Pidgey's, causing the Flying-Type to be sent crashing into a nearby wall. At the same time, Froakie followed up with its previous attack by getting close enough to Jack's Spearow and slapping it to the ground with its Pound attack. It then unleashed its Bubble attack, which rained down on Spearow with the force of several boulders. By the time attack ended, Spearow was rendered completely unconscious, along with Marcus's Pidgey.

Now with only Pokémon left, Jack started gritting his teeth as he watch Pikachu and Froakie begin making their way towards his Caterpie. Although he knew that he was outmatched, Jack refused to back down and thus he decided to make one last stand.

"Caterpie, use String Shot!" He demanded.

Gathering all of its strength, Caterpie unleashed its biggest and stickiest strand of string directly at Pikachu and Froakie. At first, Pikachu was intending to avoid the attack, but Froakie actually had something else in mind. Because of that, Froakie got in front of Pikachu and proceeded to surround the Mouse Pokémon by creating several clones of itself. The sight of so many Froakies completely disrupted Caterpie's aim, causing its attack to miss. After that, Caterpie then started looking for the real Froakie and Pikachu, which proved to be extremely difficult.

While this is going on, Takashi was utterly amazed by Froakie's skills, but something about the way it battle seemed very familiar. Like Pikachu before him, Takashi felt that they way Froakie battled was the same way that the Masked Pokémon battled. This caused a certain thought to enter his mind, but he wasn't able to focus on it as two of the Froakie clones looked towards him and started yelling. They were telling him to get his mind back on the battle, which he immediately did.

"Pikachu, finish things off with Thunder Shock!"

Within the horde of Froakie clones, Pikachu heard Takashi's command and quickly acknowledged it. It then waited for the right opportunity before jumping up and firing another electrical blast from its cheeks. By the time Caterpie finally notice this, the Worm Pokémon was zapped and soon fainted as a result. With that, the battle ended in Takashi's, Pikachu's, and Froakie's victory.

Upon being defeated, Jack and Marcus were visibly stunned by what just occurred and soon watched as Takashi, Pikachu, and Froakie began turning their attention towards them. When they saw this, the two Trainers realized that they were outmatched and thus fled from the area as quickly as they could. Once they were out of sight, Takashi let out a huge sigh of relief before proceeded to remove his father's headband from off of his head. He then put his hat back on before looking down towards both Pikachu and Froakie, gently petting the former.

"Great job Pikachu," He said with a smile on his face. "I'm extremely proud of you."

Pikachu smiled upon being praised by its Trainer, happy that it was able to make him proud. As it continued to be praised by him, Froakie looked on at this exchange and the Bubble Frog Pokémon started to feel something that it hadn't felt before in a very long time. As it reflected on this feeling, Froakie soon found itself being approached by Takashi. The Water-Type then watched as the young Trainer went on to gently pet the top of its head, much to its surprised.

"Thanks a lot, Froakie," He said to it. "You really helped me and Pikachu back there. I truly appreciate it."

Thinking back to the battle, Takashi recalled how Froakie went out of its way to protect Pikachu while it was dealing with Marcus's Pidgey. He then remembered how it managed to confuse Caterpie and hide Pikachu by using its clones as a makeshift barrier. This caused the smile that was on Takashi's face to steadily grow bigger as he continued to pet Froakie.

"You know…I just don't get it. Why would someone want to abandon a cool Pokémon like you? It just doesn't make sense."

Froakie's eyes suddenly widen as it listened to Takashi's statement. It suddenly remembered that it was having and realized what it was. It was the feeling of being loved and appreciated, something that it hadn't felt in such a long time. Ever since it was abandoned, Froakie steadily forgot what that felt like so feeling it now made it visibly stunned. As a result, Froakie simply stared at Takashi as he continued to pet it.

While all of this was going on, Haru was busy looking at Takashi and Froakie with a silent expression on her face. She then started to reflect on all the times she watched random Trainers battle against Froakie and try to capture it. During all of those battles, the old woman always noticed that those Trainers simply wanted to capture Froakie because it's such a rare Pokémon in the Kanto Region. Although that was natural for a Pokémon Trainer, Haru felt that it wasn't exactly what Froakie needed after everything it's been through. Because of that, Haru wasn't sure what she could do for Froakie other than watch over it. However, things were different now.

Although they just met one another, Haru could tell that Froakie has developed a liking to Takashi. There was something about this young Trainer that a brought upon a warm and comforting feeling, which Haru picked up on after seeing him interact with his Pikachu. She then started to wonder if Takashi was the one that she's been waiting for, a Pokémon Trainer that could truly take care of Froakie. As a result, the old woman let out a small smile before making her way towards him.

"Say Takashi…" She called.

Takashi looked up towards Haru and watched as she was making her way over to him. Right away, the young Trainer could tell that she had something on her mind, something that was extremely important. Although he wasn't sure what it was, something about her expression made Takashi feel that he needed to listen to what she had to say. With that in mind, he picked himself up from off the ground and stared directly at her.

"Ms. Haru…?" He questioned.

"Listen Takashi…" Haru started off. "If you're willing…There's something I would like you to do for me."

Raising his left eyebrow slightly, Takashi wondered what Haru wanted him to do for her. He again noticed the serious expression on her face, which made him feel a bit nervous in turn. Takashi then watched as Haru looked down at Froakie for a quick moment before looking up back at him.

"Would you plea-"

Just as Haru was about to state her request, an extremely loud noise suddenly sounded off. Turning their heads slightly, the old woman and Takashi looked on and noticed that a noticeable smoke cloud was shooting up from another part of the city. Even though he wasn't sure what was going on, something told Takashi that it wasn't good. His Pikachu felt the same way, which the Electric-Type indicated by grabbing his shirt collar and pointing in the direction of the smoke cloud. Upon seeing that, Takashi realized that both he and Pikachu were on the same page and thus they started running in the direction of the disturbance.

"Where are you going?!" Haru asked, clearly concerned. "You have no idea what's going on over there."

"I know that," The young man stated. "But I just can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Pikachu and I will be fine, but you and Froakie stay here where it's safe!"

After giving Haru both a reassuring thumbs up and a warm smile, Takashi raced off with Pikachu following closely behind. As she watched the two of them leave, Haru felt extremely worried for them as something was telling her that this particular incident wasn't normal. Eventually, this prompted her to look down towards Froakie, intending to ask the little Pokémon for help. However, just as she did look down, Haru noticed that Froakie was already gone.

Looking around for a moment, Haru soon noticed that Froakie was already making its way towards the site of the disturbance, having left shortly after Takashi spotted it. Now all alone, Haru realized that the only thing that she could do was hope that the situation wasn't as bad as she think it is, which prompted her to clasp her hands together.

"Please be careful…" She said to herself. "…All 3 of you."

* * *

Out of all the spots in Viridian City, the main city block is one where people tend to hang around the most. The reason for that is because the city block is where the most popular stores and eateries are located. Unfortunately, while the block is considered the most popular site within the entire city, it also makes it one the best places for people to cause trouble…just like what's happening right now.

In a jewelry store located in the middle of the city block, several citizens are busy running for their lives as smoke poured out from a broken glass window. The smoke was coming from a small purple Pokémon called Koffing, who resembled a balloon and had a cream-colored skull and crossbones symbol on its body. As it continued to spew smoke, Koffing was soon joined by Mankey and Nidoran, who were busy destroying everything within the store.

Although they typically stick to pulling pranks and stealing from unsuspecting citizens, Mankey and Nidoran's encounter with the mysterious man named Bruce made them realize something. As a result, the two of them decided that they needed to step up their game and thus called upon their good friend Koffing for help. Together, the 3 of them were now able to cause a make bigger scene and, by extension, caused a lot more trouble for the people of Viridian City.

Eventually, while Koffing continued to unleash its toxic smoke and Nidoran started destroying things with its large horn, Mankey used the opportunity to steal several of the jewels that were on the display cases. As it did so a small box of tissues suddenly struck the Pig Monkey Pokémon on the side of its head. While the box didn't hurt it, the fact that it was thrown at it greatly angered Mankey and soon started looking around for the culprit. After a while, Mankey soon saw that it was the store owner, who was sitting behind a desk, clearly shaken by everything that's going on.

"Go…Go away!" He told Mankey, obviously afraid of the Pokémon. "Leave now!"

The store owner quickly grabbed a telephone that was on his desk and started holding it tightly as Mankey stared at it. He then threw at the Pokémon as hard as he could, but Mankey simply knocked it away. Once it did that, Mankey then slowly made its way towards the owner, wanting to repay him for hitting it early. Fortunately, before anything could happen to the owner, soapy substance suddenly came in between him and Mankey. Recognizing what it was, Mankey turned its head and stared directly outside the shop.

From on top of a street lamp, the Masked Pokémon was busy looking down at Mankey, clearly irritated that both it and its friends were causing trouble again. However, while the Masked Pokémon was upset by their reunion, Mankey was actually pretty pleased. The Pig Monkey Pokémon then went on to alert both Nidoran and Koffing to the arrival of their old acquaintance, prompting them stop what they were doing and turn their attention solely on it. Upon doing so, all 3 Pokémon promptly made their way outside.

As it looked down at them, the Masked Pokémon noticed something rather strange. From what it could tell, Mankey and Nidoran seemed rather eager to fight it again. Most of time, the two of them would rather run away whenever they spotted their adversary, knowing full well what would happen if they fought. Did the two of them feel that things would be different now that they had Koffing or was it something else entirely? Either way, the Masked Pokémon realized that it didn't matter. All that did matter was taking care of this problem before it got any worse. With that in mind, it jumped down from the street lamp and prepared to engage its opponents.

The confrontation started off like any other, with Mankey and Nidoran blindly charging in with their Karate Chop and Horn Attack, which the Masked Pokémon easily avoided by jumping up high into the air. It then prepared to attack them from behind by firing its Bubble attack. However, just as it was about to do so, Koffing suddenly appeared right behind the Masked Pokémon, ready to strike.

"Koffing, use Gyro Ball!" A mysterious voice suddenly commanded.

Startled by this mysterious voice, the Masked Pokémon stopped its attack and started looking around for the one who just said those words. This caused it to lose its focus and not realize that Koffing was spinning towards it at an incredible speed. By the time it finally did notice, the Masked Pokémon was suddenly struck in the back and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, upon making contact with the concrete, the bubbles that were covering its face also acted like a cushion, reducing the damage of the impact.

"Now while it's down," The voice continued. "Nidoran, use Poison Sting!"

Upon hearing the voice, Nidoran smiled eagerly as it opened its mouth and unleashed a large barrage of purple needles from it. By the time the Masked Pokémon finally recovered, the needles were about a hair's away from making contact with it. With no time to dodge, it grabbed some of the bubbles from its back and used them as a make-shift shield. This plan worked, but it also left the Masked Pokémon unable to move, leaving it wide open for Mankey.

"Mankey…use Thunder Punch!"

Letting out a devilish smirk after hearing the voice's command, Mankey firmly clinched its fist as it dashed towards the Masked Pokémon. As it ran, the Pig Monkey Pokémon started gathering all the energy it could muster into its fist, causing it to be covered with electricity. When it saw this, the Masked Pokémon tried its best to break free from Nidoran's assault so that it could avoid Mankey's attack. Unfortunately, it simply wasn't able to do so and was thus struck directly in the face by Mankey's electrical fist.

Upon being hit by the attack, the Masked Pokémon tried its best to endure the blow, but the electricity that was circulating through Mankey's hand was simply too much to take. Not only that, but as it dropped its guard, the Masked Pokémon was also hit by some of Nidoran's poison needles. All of these things caused it to be sent flying into a nearby wall, dealing it a considerable amount of damage as a result.

As the Masked Pokémon struggled to get back on its feet, Mankey and Nidoran were delighted by the pain that it managed to inflict on it. For months now, they have been foiled by their mysterious attacker and now it was payback time. However, before the two of them and Koffing could continue their assault, the Pokémon suddenly heard the sounds of footsteps and immediately stopped. They then looked on and saw that the person approaching them was none other than Bruce.

The mysterious individual, clearly pleased by what he saw seeing, gently nodded his head towards Mankey and the others. He then walked past them, slowly making his way towards the struggling Masked Pokémon. Once he reached a certain distance he stopped and soon pulled out an empty PokéBall from his belt.

"Well…what do we have here?" He said arrogantly, enlarging the PokéBall that he was holding. "You seem to be in a lot of pain, little one. But don't you worry. Once I capture you and bring you over to the organization…all of your troubles will fade away."

With that said, Bruce let out a fiendish smirk as he continued to watch the Masked Pokémon struggle to get back on its feet. He then proceeded to throw the empty PokéBall at it.

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _With its back literally against the wall, the odds of the Masked Pokémon escaping from this predicament don't seem good. Will Takashi and Pikachu make in time to help or will the evil Bruce have a brand new Pokémon by his side?_

 _Next Time, Chapter 5: The Boy and the Frog – Part 2_


	5. Chapter 5

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 5:** _The Boy and the Frog – Part 2_

* * *

Typically, when a Wild Pokémon is about to captured by a Pokémon Trainer, two things are guaranteed to happen. Either the Pokémon in question will do everything within their power to escape or will simply submit and accept its fate. Those were the only choices they had and it was that single choice that would that would forever determine how the Pokémon lived its life going forward. This was the case for many Wild Pokémon, but none more important than the Masked Pokémon of Viridian City.

With its back against the wall, the Masked Pokémon found itself surrounded as it struggled to stay on its feet. This was due, in no small part, to the machinations of a man named Bruce, who was accompanied by two of the Masked Pokémon's enemies, Mankey and Nidoran, as well as another Pokémon named Koffing. Normally, Mankey and Nidoran would pose no threat to the Masked Pokémon due to the fact that they were simply weaker than it. However, that wasn't the case this time around.

Somehow, Mankey and Nidoran have grown incredibly strong. Their growth seemed so sudden, so unnatural, that the Masked Pokémon wondered if they were the same bullies that it always has to deal with on a daily basis. Not only that, but the two of them also learned some new attacks. Those attacks only made them more powerful, especially Mankey's Thunder Punch, which literally sent the Masked Pokémon flying. All of those things, as well as Koffing's involvement, made this a battle like no other. However, it wasn't over yet as Bruce made its way towards the Masked Pokémon, pulling out an empty PokéBall as he did so.

As this mysterious man in black enlarged the ball and prepared to throw it, the Masked Pokémon tried its best to move out of the way and create some distance. Unfortunately, while attempting to do so, the Pokémon suddenly felt another pain jolt of electricity run through its entire body. This electricity, which came about when Mankey struck it with its Thunder Punch attack, ended up paralyzing the Masked Pokémon, making it extremely difficult to move. Because of that, all it could was watch as Bruce went on to throw the empty PokéBall at it.

As it watched the ball approach it, the Masked Pokémon tried once more to force its body to move so that it could get out of the way, but was still paralyzed by Mankey's attack. Because of that, the little Pokémon angrily cursed itself before closing its eyes and preparing itself for what was to come. However, just as the ball was about to reach its intended target, something occurred that completely changed the entire situation.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

From out of nowhere, a suddenly burst of electricity shot up and zapped the oncoming PokéBall, knocking it away. Shortly after that, another blast of electricity appeared and separated Bruce and its allies away from the Masked Pokémon. Upon hearing all of this commotion, the Masked Pokémon slowly opened its eyes, wondering what was going on. Once it did, it was utterly shocked to see two individuals standing in front of it, two individuals that it already seen before.

"…I'm not quite sure what's going on here, but don't you think you're taking this a bit too far?"

As the Masked Pokémon continued to look on, it watched as both Takashi Nakamura and his partner Pikachu were protecting it from this assault. Having just managed to arrive on the scene, the two of them instantly decided to intervene and stop this before it got any worse. This greatly surprised the Masked Pokémon as it never expected that it would be rescued by the two of them. It then watched as Takashi gently turned his head towards it, giving the little one a reassuring smile as he did so.

When the Masked Pokémon saw that smile it immediately understood what Takashi was trying to convey to it. Even though this battle had nothing to do with him, Takashi simply couldn't stand by and allow this beating to take place. Not only that, but both he and Pikachu wanted to pay the Masked Pokémon back for the help they received when they dealt with both Mankey and Nidoran the other day. This smile was meant to show the Masked Pokémon that, which only ended up surprising it even more.

Meanwhile, while all of this was going on, Bruce was busy looking on at Takashi with a silent expression on his face. He then glanced over towards Mankey and Nidoran and saw that the two of them were clearly upset by his and Pikachu's appearance. Although he wondered why that was the case, Bruce quickly put those thought aside for now. He then turned his attention back towards Takashi, glaring at him slightly.

"Pardon me…" He said in a cold tone of voice. "But may I ask what you're doing?"

"Isn't it obvious…?" Takashi replied. "I'm stopping you from beating on this little guy."

Having already seen this earlier today with Froakie, Takashi was very upset that another Pokémon was being ganged up on. This caused him to glare at Bruce, knowing that he was the one responsible for all of this. However, upon seeing his glare, Bruce simply let out a rather annoying chuckle. Hearing him laugh like that only ended up angering Takashi even more, causing him to clinch his fists in frustration. Once Bruce finally stopped laughing, he looked back over towards the young Pokémon Trainer.

"Listen here, young man. It's obvious to me that you're a brand new Pokémon Trainer and that you believe that all battles should be fought fair and square. Unfortunately…that's simply not how the world works. If you want to become the very best that no one ever was…and if you want capture any Pokémon that you set your sights on…then you're going to have to bend the rules. It may not be pleasant…but that's simply how it is."

As Bruce continued talking, Takashi noticed that both Nidoran and Koffing were coming towards him and Pikachu in opposite directions. He also saw that Mankey was preparing to make its way towards the Masked Pokémon, who was slowly picking itself back up. It was clear to him that a battle was about to take place and so he braced himself for what was about to happen.

"So…why don't you be a good boy and leave," Bruce suggested to Takashi. "If you don't then I may have to get a little rough."

"…Is that so?" Takashi took a deep breath, gathering all of his nerves as he did so. Once he excelled, he glared sternly at Bruce. "Then I'm truly sorry…but you're going to have to get rough with me!"

With his desire to stay and fight clearly known, Takashi planted both his feet onto the ground, showing Bruce that he had no intention of leaving. Pikachu also went on to display its own desire to fight, letting out several small sparks of electricity from the sacs on its cheeks. When he saw that, Bruce simply shook his head in disappointment. He then went on to signal to Mankey, Nidoran, and Koffing.

"Fine then…but don't cry to me when this is over."

After raising his right arm high into the air, Bruce suddenly slammed it back down, causing Nidoran and Koffing to make its way towards Pikachu. At the same time, Mankey started dashing towards the Masked Pokémon, intending to strike it down before it could recover any more of its strength. When he saw that, Takashi realized that he needed to act quickly if he wanted to get out of this situation in one piece. As a result, he glanced over at Pikachu, who went on to do the same.

"Alright buddy…" He said to his partner. "Use Quick Attack!"

Nodding its head in compliance, Pikachu quickly dashed past both Nidoran and Koffing and started making its way towards Mankey. It then tackled the Pig Monkey Pokémon, sending it backwards and allowing Takashi to pick up the Masked Pokémon. Once Pikachu saw that Takashi had it safely in his arms, it then sprinted back over towards Nidoran, knocking it down with a firm tackle as well. The Mouse Pokémon then jumped up and did the same to Koffing, bringing crashing towards the ground as well.

Upon seeing all 3 Pokémon on ground, Takashi let out a small sigh of relief as Pikachu was able to create some space. He then decided to use the old strategy of divide and conquer, knowing full well that he can't defeat all 3 of them at the same time. With that in mind, Takashi proceeded to focus his attention on Koffing first, as it was the one Pokémon of the 3 that he knew nothing about. Fortunately, he then went on to pull out his PokéDex so that he could remedy that problem.

" _Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokémon,"_ The PokéDex stated. _"The gases that fill Koffing's body are extremely toxic. When it's under attack, it releases this poisonous gas from jets on its surface. Koffing is a Poison-Type Pokémon."_

Once his PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi quickly placed it back into his pocket before focusing all of his attention back on Koffing. As he stared at the Pokémon, the young Trainer noticed Koffing was letting out small puffs of toxic fumes from the holes surroundings its body. Just looking at them made him realized that he couldn't afford to let Pikachu get close, lest it get poisoned. Because of that, he decided that the best course of action was to fight from a distance.

"Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"

Nodding its head, Pikachu unleashed a powerful zap of electricity from its cheeks and directed it towards Koffing. However, despite the fact that the attack was coming towards it, Koffing didn't seem too worried. The same was true for Bruce, who simply snickered to himself.

"Koffing, use Smog!" He declared.

Upon hearing Bruce's command, Koffing took in a deep breath, causing its body to expand until it was double in size. It then exhaled, unleashing a black smoke from the holes on its body. This smoke went on to absorb Pikachu's electrical attack, rendering it powerless. After that, the smoke then proceeded to make its way over to Pikachu, greatly worrying it's Trainer.

"Pikachu, you have to jump back!" Takashi told it.

"I don't think so! Nidoran, use Poison Sting!"

Pikachu prepared to jump back in order to distance itself from Koffing's black smoke. However, just as the Mouse Pokémon was about to do so, Nidoran suddenly appeared behind it and began firing a barrage of poisonous needles from its mouth. When Takashi saw this, he instantly realized that Bruce had already anticipated his divide and conquer strategy and rendered it ineffective by having Koffing and Nidoran attack together. As a result, Pikachu was cornered and Takashi wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this situation.

Fortunately for Pikachu, just before it was struck by Koffing and Nidoran's combined attacks, a barrage of bubbles suddenly appeared and intercepted the blow. Thanks to this, Koffing's smoke cloud disappeared and Nidoran's needles were successfully blocked. At first, Takashi was confused as he wasn't sure where those bubbles came from. However, after feeling something move around in his arms, he immediately discovered the answer.

Despite being injured, the Masked Pokémon was still determined to fight and wasn't about to sit around and allow Takashi and Pikachu to fight its battles. Because of that, it used its Bubble attack to shield the Mouse Pokémon, paying it back for when Pikachu shield it from being caught by Bruce's PokéBall. This caused Takashi to let a small smile before turning his attention back towards the battle.

"Pikachu…!" He called. "Use Quick Attack on Koffing!"

Complying too Takashi's order, Pikachu took a deep breath before dashing towards Koffing at an incredible speed. Before the Poison Gas Pokémon had time to react, it was already sent flying due to force of Pikachu's assault.

"Now use Thunder Shock!"

"Koffing, use Gyro Ball!" Bruce ordered swiftly.

After bouncing off the wall, Koffing started spinning its body rapidly as it began making its way towards Pikachu. Fortunately for the Mouse Pokémon it was able to easily avoid the attack by sidestepping the other way. It then went on to fire another blast of electricity from its cheek, which this time was able to connect with its intended target. Because of that, Koffing fell face first on the ground, unable to continue the battle.

When Bruce saw this, the calm and collected look that was on his face was beginning to give way to one of anger and annoyance. He then turned his attention towards Nidoran, silently telling the Pokémon that it better not fail like Koffing just did. Nidoran, upon seeing that look, instantly got the message and started firing another barrage of its Poison Sting attack. This prompted Pikachu to jump out of the way of the way before preparing itself to combat the Poison Pin Pokémon.

"Nidoran, use Horn Attack!"

Locking on to its target, Nidoran started running towards Pikachu with its horn aimed directly at it. Due to its greater speed, Pikachu was able to avoid the initial strike, but Nidoran refused to let it end there. The Poison-Type Pokémon continued on with its assault, gradually pushing Pikachu back until it was trapped in a corner. Once Nidoran saw that, it then gave one last charge, certain that this time its horn will hit its target.

At the last moment however, Takashi watched as the Masked Pokémon suddenly escaped from his grasp and quickly made its way towards Nidoran. It then struck it in the side of the head with its Pound attack, causing Nidoran to stumble and crash into a wall. Not only that, but as it attempted to recover, Nidoran discovered that its horn was stuck in the wall, rendering it unable to move. Seeing that gave Takashi the opportunity he needed.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock before it can escape!"

Once again, Pikachu fired off another blast of electricity from the electric sacs on its cheek. At the same time, the Masked Pokémon also went on to fire another barrage of bubbles from its mouth. Both attack quickly made their way towards Nidoran, connecting and dealing the Poison-Type a significant amount of damage. By the time it finally managed to free itself from the wall, all Nidoran could do was angrily look towards both Pikachu and the Masked Pokémon before falling on the ground and passing out.

With 2 of the 3 Pokémon now defeated, Takashi let out a huge sigh of relief as now the battle was almost over. Pikachu went on to do the same thing as it was clearly exhausted from having to deal with 2 opponents at once. However, as it continued to catch its breath, Pikachu failed to notice that Mankey was right behind it, ready to strike it down with a powerful Thunder Punch attack. When the Masked Pokémon saw this it quickly pushed Pikachu out of the way, taking the full brunt of Mankey's attack as a result.

When Takashi saw this, the young man was utterly shocked and instantly ran towards the fallen Pokémon as it skidded across the hard ground. Once he finally reached it, Takashi saw that the Masked Pokémon was gravely injured from Mankey's attack, so much so that the damage it sustained even caused its mask to begin to fall off. When it did, Takashi's shock only grew as he recognized the Pokémon that he was looking at.

"…Froakie…?"

Indeed, the infamous Masked Pokémon of Viridian City was the same Froakie that Takashi and Pikachu met at Haru's bread shop. Although a part of him suspected this, given the fact that the Masked Pokémon and Froakie had the same attack and battled almost identically, Takashi was still very surprised. He then watched as Froakie started to slowly open its eyes as it was obviously in a great amount of pain.

The Bubble Frog noticed that Mankey was making its way towards it, determined to finish the battle between them. Although it was in no condition to battle, Froakie stood up and prepared to face its rival. Seeing this prompted Pikachu to attempt to step in and assist, but Froakie simply stopped it by throwing a piece of its Frubbles by the Electric-Type's feet. It then shook its head in disapproval, silently telling Pikachu not to interfere. Froakie then went on to do the same to Takashi, telling him the same thing.

Once that was taken care of, Froakie slowly made its way towards Mankey and the two Pokémon renewed their battle. As he looked on, Takashi wondered if he was doing the right thing by letting Froakie fight all by itself. However, he didn't have enough time to think about that as he suddenly heard the sound of a PokéBall expanding. This prompted him to turn his head and saw that Bruce was busy gripping a PokéBall in his right hand. Not only that, but he was also giving Takashi a vicious look, something that frightened the young Pokémon Trainer.

"You brat…!" Bruce said, shaking his arm violently as he did. "I warned you not to get in my way...but you simply wouldn't listen. Now…You're going to pay the price for your insolence!"

With his mind set on utterly destroying Takashi now, Bruce threw the PokéBall that he was gripping and watched as a blast of light energy suddenly erupted from it. Once the energy took shape, Takashi was stunned by the sudden appearance of a large snake-like Pokémon with purple skin, yellow eyes, and a rattle at the end of its tail. Having never seen a Pokémon like it before, Takashi quickly pulled out his PokéDex, hoping that it would tell him who it was.

" _Ekans, the Snake Pokémon,"_ The PokéDex stated. _"When Ekans rests, it coils its long body up into a spiral. In this position, it can quickly raise its head to challenge a foe. Ekans is a Poison-Type Pokémon."_

After his PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi watched as Ekans quietly gave Pikachu and frightening glare. Just looking at it caused shivers to run down the Mouse Pokémon's entire body. Takashi felt the same way, shaking slightly as Ekans slowly unwrapped its long body and began slithering its way towards Pikachu. Upon seeing that, Takashi's fear quickly grew in intensity, prompting him to act before Ekans got any closer.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock right now!"

At the very instant it heard Takashi's command, Pikachu fired off another blast of electricity and directed straight at Ekans. However, the Snake Pokémon easily avoided the attack thanks to the unique way it slithered its body around. Once it got close enough, Ekans lifted its body up and started towering over Pikachu, making the Mouse Pokémon seem even smaller by comparison.

"Ekans, use Acid!" Bruce demanded.

"Pikachu get out of the way."

Reacting first, Pikachu quickly jumped high into air just as Ekans proceeded to spit up a strange yellow liquid from its mouth. At first, the liquid didn't seem all that powerful to Takashi, causing him to wonder if he was overacting a little. Unfortunately, after noticing that ground before him was beginning to erode due to Ekans's attack, Takashi realized that he was right to be afraid earlier. He then kept on his toes, wondering what other tricks this venomous snake had of its sleeve.

"Now Ekans, use Bite attack!"

Nodding its head, Ekans locked onto Pikachu just as the Mouse Pokémon landed back onto the ground. It then lunged at it, causing Pikachu to back up and try and distance itself. However, no matter how hard it attempted to do so, Pikachu wasn't able to distance itself as Ekans simply kept on coming. As a result, Pikachu soon found itself stuck into a corner, leaving itself wide open for Ekans to strike.

With nowhere else to go and Ekans once again preparing to attack, Pikachu realized that the only thing it could do was move forward. With that in mind, Pikachu waited until it saw Ekans lunge towards it again. It then used its Quick Attack to narrowly avoid Ekans fangs and make a break for some open space. Unfortunately, just when it seemed that Pikachu finally managed to create some distance, Bruce simply let out an evil snicker.

"Ekans…Wrap!"

Without even needing to look back, Ekans used the end of its tail to trip up Pikachu and cause it to fall face first onto the ground. The Snake Pokémon then quickly approached the fallen Pikachu and proceeded to wrap its entire body around it, squeezing it as tightly as it could. Right away, the Mouse Pokémon found it incredibly hard to breathe, let alone move, as Ekans's grip only grew tighter as time passed by. This greatly concerned Takashi, as he knew that Pikachu couldn't withstand this for much longer.

While this was going on, Froakie was continuing its own battle with Mankey. For time, the Bubble Frog Pokémon managed to hold its own against its opponent, but it was clear that its injuries were hampering it. With each attack it avoided, Froakie would only lose what little strength it had remaining. This resulted in its movements becoming even slower than usual, allowing Mankey to gradually injure Froakie bit by bit. Eventually, things reached the point where Froakie simply found it too hard to even stand up, falling to its knees as a result.

When Mankey saw this, a fiendish smile quickly grew upon its face. For months now it had to deal with the humiliation of constantly being defeated by Froakie, but now things were finally different. This time, Mankey was the one on top and the Pig Monkey Pokémon was going to make sure that it stayed that way. With that, Mankey covered its fist with electricity again and prepared to finish things with one last Thunder Punch. However, just as it was about to do so.

"Ekans, finish this off with Poison Sting!"

As Mankey prepared to strike down its hated foe, Froakie looked over towards Pikachu and saw that it was still stuck within Ekans's grip. It then watched as the Snake Pokémon prepared to fire off a large barrage of poisonous needles from its mouth. Knowing that Pikachu wouldn't be able to withstand an attack like that from such a range, Froakie decided that it needed to act now if it wanted to save its new ally.

With that in mind, the Bubble Frog Pokémon grabbed a piece of its Frubbles and threw it at Mankey, blinding it and causing its attack to miss. Once Froakie saw that it then used all of its strength to quickly make its way over to Pikachu and push it aside, free it from Ekans's grip. However, by doing this, Froakie found itself completely overwhelmed as Ekans's Poison Sting attack struck the Water-Type head on.

"Froakie…No!" Takashi screamed.

Shocked by this sudden turn of events, Takashi quickly ran over towards Froakie just as it fell towards the ground. He then picked it up and saw that Froakie was unconscious and unable to continue battling. This greatly concerned him, prompting him to hold the Bubble Frog Pokémon tightly so that no more harm could be done to it. Unfortunately for Takashi though, Ekans was standing just above, willing to go through him if it meant getting to Froakie.

"It's over for you, brat!" Bruce declared as he got ready to launch the final blow. "Ekans…ends this with another Poison Sting!"

Opening its mouth, Ekans got ready to launch one final assault on both Takashi and Froakie with its poisonous needles. Pikachu, seeing that it's Trainer was in trouble, tried its best to get in him in time, but was simply not fast enough. It seemed like this would be the end for Takashi, prompting him to place his head down while still using his body to shield Froakie. But, just Ekans was about to fire, something occurred that suddenly caused it to stop.

What stopped Ekans's attack was the sound of a very loud siren. When Bruce heard it, the villain instantly recognized as the same siren that police officers use and realized that they were approaching the area. Knowing that he couldn't afford to get himself caught, Bruce angrily pulled out Ekans's PokéBall and promptly returned the Snake Pokémon to it. He then glared at Takashi for a moment before getting ready to flee.

"Let's go, you fools!" He said, talking directly to his Pokémon allies. "We have to go!"

Mankey, stunned that they were running away just when it looked like they were going to win, attempted to protest Bruce's decision. However, after receiving one of Bruce's fierce glares, the Pig Monkey Pokémon eventually relented. It then went over to wake up both Nidoran and Koffing before fleeing the area with Bruce.

Once they were alone, Pikachu quickly rushed over towards Takashi, just as he was beginning to pick himself back up. The two of them then looked over at Froakie, seeing that the Water-Type condition was only worsening as time passed by. As Takashi wondered what he was going to do, a police car suddenly appeared right in front of him and opened its down. He then watched as a beautiful young woman, with light blue hair and wearing police uniform, exited from out of the vehicle.

"Hey kid!" The woman said. "What's going on here?!"

For a moment, Takashi remained speechless as he was still trying to comprehend what just took place. By the time he finally managed to gather his thoughts together, the young Trainer stared directly at the police officer with an extremely worried look on his face.

"Help…!" He said. "Please! I need to get this Froakie some help!"

* * *

Hours following the incident at the main city block, Takashi and his Pikachu were busy sitting in the waiting room inside of the Viridian City Pokémon Center. As they sat down, a bandaged Pikachu looked over towards Takashi and noticed that he seemed very sad. Knowing full well what was on his mind, the Mouse Pokémon attempted to comfort him as best as it could. When he saw this, Takashi let out a small smile and proceeded to gently pet the top of Pikachu's head. However, once he finished doing so, the young man face returned to its previous expression as he placed his head towards the ground and started thinking to himself.

He thought about the police officer that he encountered shortly after his battle against Bruce. She revealed to him that her name was Jenny and that she was the chief of police of all the officers within Viridian City. Having heard of the disturbance that was taking place at the city block, Jenny decided to investigate the situation and that's when she happened across Takashi. However, as he was the only one present at the time, Jenny wrongly assumed that Takashi was the only responsible for what happened and was prepared to arrest him as a result.

Fortunately for Takashi though, someone else was there to vouch for his innocent. That someone was none other than the jewelry store owner that was being assaulted by Mankey and its friends. Having watched the battle from behind his desk, the owner explained to Officer Jenny that Takashi was attempting to help fight off the ones responsible with the help of the mysterious Masked Pokémon. Upon hearing this, Jenny immediately apologized to Takashi for her wrongful assumption and on to assist him on getting Froakie some help.

The two of them quickly made their way over to the Pokémon Center, where they met up with Nurse Joy and pleaded with to help Froakie. Upon seeing the Water-Type's condition, Joy called over her Chansey and the two of them immediately took Froakie over the emergency room. Once they were there, Joy closed the door and began her treatment, forcing Takashi and Pikachu to wait for her to finish.

Following this, after giving Takashi some time to decompress, Officer Jenny approached the young man and questioned about everything that occurred with Bruce. Although there wasn't much he could tell her that she didn't already learn from the store owner, Takashi did his best to answer Jenny's questions. Once she got what she wanted, Jenny thanked the young man and promised him that he would find Bruce and make him pay for what he did. With that, Jenny left the Pokémon Center.

Once they were alone, Takashi and Pikachu waited as Nurse Joy continued on with her treatment. As he did so, Takashi's concern for Froakie's well being made the wait seem much longer to him than it actually was. Not only was Froakie hurt long before he got there to help, but it also got injured further after getting struck by Ekans's Poison Sting, an attack that was originally aimed for Pikachu. This caused the both of them to feel very bad, believing that if they were only stronger, Froakie wouldn't have needed to do what it did.

While Takashi wondered what he could to make things right, Pikachu noticed that the door the door next to them was beginning to open. When it did, the Mouse Pokémon saw that person making their way inside the waiting room was none other than Froakie's friend, Haru. When Takashi saw the old woman, he immediately picked himself up and walked over to her. He attempted to say something, but simply couldn't find the words. However, he didn't need to say anything as Haru already knew what was on the young man's mind.

"…Its okay," She said, placing one hand on Takashi's shoulder. "Froakie's a fighter. It's going to get through this."

As he watched Haru give him a warm smile, Takashi's eyes started to water up a bit. This prompted him to cover them with his arm, trying his best to keep himself from crying in front of her and Pikachu. This caused Haru to smile some more, knowing that Takashi's tears was his way of showing that he cared deeply for Froakie's well being. Because of that, Haru's opinion on Takashi only grew, once again believing that he is the one that she has been looking for.

Soon though, just as Takashi was beginning to get himself together, both he and Haru noticed that someone was beginning to exit from out of the emergency room. This someone was Nurse Joy, who just finished her treatment on Froakie. Upon seeing her, Takashi rushed over towards the nurse and asked her if Froakie was going to be alright. When she saw this, Nurse Joy went on to calm Takashi down before giving him a warm smile.

"Froakie's going to be just fine," She said to him. "It was touch and go for a bit, but things could have been a lot worse if you hadn't brought it here as quickly as you did. So thank you Takashi…Your quick actions saved Froakie's life."

When Takashi heard Nurse Joy say that, the young Trainer wasn't able to contain his emotions any longer. He believed that his actions only resulted in Froakie's suffering, but that wasn't the case at all. Instead, it's because he intervened on Froakie's behalf that the Bubble Frog Pokémon is not only safe from capture, but also still alive. Because of that, Takashi started crying as tears started streaming down his face. When they saw this, Nurse Joy, Haru, and even Pikachu went on to comfort Takashi, knowing what he's been through and what he's been feeling.

Sometime later, Nurse Joy had Chansey move Froakie to the Center's recovery room. She then allowed both Takashi and Haru come and stay with the Bubble Frog Pokémon before leaving to tend to the other Pokémon staying at the Center. Once she was gone, Takashi looked over towards Froakie and watched as it slept peacefully on a hospital bed. While doing so, a thought suddenly entered his mind, something he wanted to know ever since he discovered that Froakie was the Masked Pokémon.

"Say…Ms. Haru," He called, looking over towards her. "Why does Froakie goes out of its way to help people…and why does it wear a disguise while doing so?"

Upon hearing his question, Haru took a moment to ponder on it for a while. Even though she's known Froakie for a while it wasn't like she could read its mind and discover what it was really thinking. However, given the Pokémon's overall personality and the way it choices to go about helping people, Haru had an opinion and decided to share it with Takashi.

"Froakie is a very kind Pokémon with a strong sense of justice," She began. "It simply can't bring itself to stand by and watch while someone else is in trouble. It will try and help as best as it can…even if it gets hurt in the process. You should understand this better than anyone Takashi. After all…You and Froakie are a lot alike."

Surprised by Haru's statement, Takashi turned his head for a moment and looked back down at Froakie. As he watched it sleep, he thought about the times the Bubble Frog Pokémon came to his rescue, both in the battle against Bruce and when he first encountered Nidoran and Mankey upon first arriving in Viridian City. He then compared it to how he's unable to sit around and watch injustice unfold right in front him. Even if it's known of their business, both Takashi and Froakie will always fight for those who can't fight for themselves, whether it be people or Pokémon.

"As for why Froakie disguises itself," Haru continued. "I'm not entirely sure. However…I think it's because Froakie doesn't want anyone to recognize it while it searches for it."

"Searching for what?" Takashi questioned.

"For the perfect Pokémon Trainer. I told you before that Froakie is very selective. This is because it was abandoned by its previous Trainer. When I first found it and saw that it had an intense desire to become more powerful, I told Froakie that it couldn't do that by simply relying on its own power. It had to find the perfect Pokémon Trainer, one that it could truly trust, and combine its power with him in order to obtain the strength it desired. However, that's easier said than done."

Haru paused, taking a moment to reflect. She thought about all the times Trainers would come to her bread shop, demanding to battle against Froakie so that they could try and capture it. She also thought about all the times it appeared as the Masked Pokémon, moving the city and looking several more Trainers as it went out on patrol.

"Most Trainers want to capture Froakie either due to its strength or because it's such a rare Pokémon. While that's understandable…it's also very selfish. Froakie wants a Trainer that it can truly rely on, one who will always stand by it no matter how tough things seem. It wants a Trainer who will never give up, both on himself or on his Pokémon. But most importantly…Froakie wants a Trainer that it could truly consider to be its friend."

Once he finished listening to Haru's explanation, Takashi looked back towards Froakie again. He then thought about what happened earlier again. Although he doesn't have all of the details, it seemed to him that Bruce wanted to capture Froakie because of how rare it is in the Kanto Region. The same thing applied to both Marcus and Jack from earlier this afternoon, as well as any other Trainers it fought. All of this time, Froakie has been searching for the right one, the one Pokémon Trainer that it could truly devote its time and effort too. After all this time, one would think that it would give up, but Froakie refused to do so and that greatly impressed Takashi.

Eventually, as time passed by, Takashi noticed that Froakie was beginning to stir a little. He then watched as the little Pokémon slowly began to open his eyes, much his and everyone else's relief. Once it did, Froakie was very surprised by what was going on and attempted to sit up, but found it very difficult due to the amount of pain that it was in. This prompted Takashi to gently place Froakie back onto its bed.

"Take it easy, Froakie," He said to it. "You're going to be alright. Just get some rest."

Reluctant at first, as it still remembered the beating that it received at the hands of Mankey and Ekans, Froakie soon complied after seeing how concerned Takashi is about its well being. As it continued to watch him, the Bubble Frog Pokémon could feel a warm sensation enveloping its entire being. This feeling made it feel both strong and safe, almost like nothing could harm it. Although it wasn't sure why it was feeling this way, Froakie eventually realized that the one causing this sensation was none other than Takashi.

When the two of them first met one another, Froakie was able to instantly tell that Takashi was very different from the other Trainers that it encountered. There was something about this young man that drew the Water-Type to him and although Froakie wasn't entirely sure why that was, it didn't seem to mind all that much. What was important that both he and Pikachu were alright and as long as that was the case, Froakie didn't mind getting injured.

Soon, after insisting that it was truly beginning to feel better, Froakie sat up and started interacting with both Takashi and Pikachu. As she watched this, Haru smiled as she's never seen Froakie interact with another Trainer so openly before. Normally, the Water-Type would simply keep to itself, only responding when it's either patrolling the city or being challenged by another Trainer. Even Haru, the one who's been taking care of Froakie since they first met, doesn't get much a response out it, only receiving silent nods. So the fact that Froakie is slowly starting to bond with Takashi not only made Haru very happy, but it also made her consider something.

"Takashi…" She called.

"Yes ma'am," The young man replied.

"Earlier today I wanted you to do something for me…but we were interrupted by what happened at the city block. Now with that over, I think the time has come for me to make my request."

Glancing over at Froakie for a moment, Haru gently petted its head before looking over at Takashi and Pikachu. As she did so, the old woman smiled at the two of them as she could tell that they were a perfect fit for one another. This made her truly believe that Takashi was indeed the one that both she and Froakie have been searching for, prompting Haru to make her request.

"If you're willing…would you ple-"

Once again, just as Haru was about to finish stating her request, a loud noise suddenly erupted and stopped her. Recognizing the sound as a police siren, Takashi sat up and began walking over towards a nearby window. Upon looking through it, the young Trainer saw several police cars racing towards the site of large pillar of smoke. Just seeing that smoke gave Takashi a strong sense of Déjà vu, causing him to realize what was going on here.

"He's back…"

Clinching his fist in anger, Takashi knew what was going on here. That pillar of smoke was coming from Koffing, which meant that Bruce was back and was causing trouble again. He also knew that Bruce was trying to draw Froakie out again, knowing that it will come if he and his Pokémon allies make enough trouble. This angered Takashi, prompting him to act before Bruce manages to cause any more trouble. With that he looked over towards Pikachu, who instantly got the message and jumped onto his shoulder in response.

Once Pikachu was settled, Takashi prepared to leave the Pokémon Center in order to confront Bruce before the police did. Haru, knowing what they were planning, considered stopping them before they did something extremely reckless. However, after looking into the eyes of both of them, the old woman quickly realized how pointless that would be.

As she already stated, Takashi is the type of person who will not stand by and let injustice occur. If there's someone in trouble, Takashi will try to help them and if there's someone causing trouble, Takashi will try to stop them. It was that simple and there was nothing Haru could but to stand by and allow him to leave. Unfortunately, there was one who didn't feel the exact same way.

Just as Takashi and Pikachu were about to leave, something suddenly struck the both of them in the back of their heads. Turning around they see that it was Froakie throwing its Frubbles at them. The little Water-Type seemed very determined about something, as it was busy glaring out the window, staring at the site of the disturbance. When Takashi saw this he knew right away what Froakie wanted to do.

"You want to come…don't you?"

Nodding its head, Froakie let out a passionate cry. Even though it's still injured and in no condition to battle, Froakie was determined to face Bruce again. Haru, already a bit unsure about letting Takashi go out, was highly against Froakie doing the same. Because of that, she proceeded to confront the little frog.

"No Froakie…you have to stay here and rest!" She told it. "Look at what happened to you last time. In your condition there's no way that you can win. Just stay here where it's sa-"

Before Haru could finish her sentence, the old woman paused as she watched Froakie stare directly at her. As she stared back at it, Haru was able to see the fire that resided within its eyes. Even though it knew that she was worried, Froakie couldn't stand by and allow Bruce to get away again. It had to fight, not just for itself, but for everyone who might be in trouble. Upon realizing that, Haru reluctantly relented.

"…Okay," She told it. "You can go…but on one condition."

Turning her head slightly, Haru stared at Takashi with a silent expression on face. Right away, the young man knew what she was going to ask him and nodded his head in response. He then made his way over to Froakie and went on to place the Bubble Frog Pokémon on his other empty shoulder.

"Don't worry…I promise that I'll look after Froakie," Takashi said to her.

"…I know you will," Haru softly replied.

With that said, Takashi went on to give Haru one final nod before proceeding to leave the room through the window. Once outside, he raced over towards the site of Bruce's attack. Although he was unsure if he could defeat him and his powerful Ekans, both Pikachu and even Froakie gave him so much needed encouragement. Thanks to that, his determination grew and he soon found himself running even faster towards the disturbance.

Meanwhile, in another section of the city, Bruce was busy causing mindless destruction thanks to the help of Mankey and the other Pokémon. As they did so, Bruce's mind was fixated on what happened earlier. He had Froakie right where he wanted it and would've captured it if Takashi hadn't gotten in his way. Just thinking about him angered Bruce immensely, prompting him to summon his Ekans from out of its PokéBall.

"Ekans, use Acid!" He shouted.

Immediately after it materialized from its PokéBall, Ekans started spewing a large amount of its corrosive acid all over the immediate area. When it landed, the acid quickly began to dissolve anything that it came in contact with, including buildings, cars, and windows. Seeing this greatly frightened the citizens, causing to flee as quickly as they could. However, as they did so, a little girl named Emily ended up tripping and fell hard on the ground, injuring herself.

As she attempted to pick herself back up, Ekans noticed Emily and began to slowly make itself over to her. Although she tried to get away, her injury made it extremely difficult for her to do so. Because of that, Emily found herself cornered and soon braced herself as Ekans prepared to strike.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Just as Ekans prepared to fire its Acid at the defenseless Emily, Pikachu suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and proceeded to ram itself directly into the Snake Pokémon's long neck. As the neck was the most sensitive part of its body, Ekans was sent flying back, causing its attack to miss. Once that happened, Takashi and Froakie soon appeared and proceeded to help Emily reunite with her parents before going on to confront Bruce.

Upon seeing him again, Bruce was both angry and excited at the same time. Not only would he have another chance to capture Froakie, but he could get his revenge on Takashi for getting in his way the last time. Because of that, he went to smile viciously at them while Takashi, Pikachu, and Froakie simply stood their ground.

"So you've finally arrived…" He said. "Good. Now I can finish what I started!"

"Oh really…?" Takashi replied as he took off his hat. "I was just thinking the same thing!"

Grabbing his father's headband, Takashi tied it firmly around his eyes. He then stared down Bruce, who proceeded to do the same thing. As they did so, Pikachu and Froakie stood next to one another as they prepared to confront both Ekans and Mankey respectively. Although Nidoran and Koffing were eager to assist, Bruce simply glared at them.

"Stay out of the way, weaklings! You'll only get in the way!"

Having seen how they performed last time, Bruce concluded that both Nidoran and Koffing would be no use to him at all. Because of that, he coldly tossed them to the side and the Pokémon silently complied too his demand. This left both Mankey and Ekans, the only Pokémon capable of bringing down Froakie and Pikachu. With that, all 4 Pokémon proceeded to rush towards one another as the battle between them began once again.

Mankey proceeded to launch the first attack, preparing to strike Froakie with a swift Karate Chop attack. However, the Bubble Frog Pokémon was able to avoid the blow by quickly jumping high into the air. It then turned itself around and began firing a large barrage of bubbles at Mankey, who managed to evade them thanks to its own athletic ability. For that moment, it seemed like both Froakie and Mankey were evenly matched with one another. Unfortunately, at the very instant that Froakie landed back on the ground, it became very clear that wasn't the case at all.

Due to the injuries that it received earlier, Froakie immediately started holding its sides once it landed. Every action it took was agonizing, so much so that Froakie found it extremely hard to stand up straight, let alone battle. Despite that though, Froakie had no choice but to continue to fight as Mankey was right on top of it, attacking a swift barrage of punches and kicks.

"Froakie…be careful!" Takashi called out.

"You should worry about yourself instead!" Bruce responded. "Ekans, use Bite on Pikachu!"

Upon hearing Bruce's voice, Takashi suddenly remembered that Pikachu was the midst of its own battle and quickly turned to focus on that. He then watched as Ekans leaped towards his little partner and prepared to bite down it.

"Dodge it Pikachu…then use Thunder Shock!"

At the last moment, Pikachu managed to narrowly avoid Ekans's jaws by jumping backwards. It then went on to fire a quick blast of electricity at the Snake Pokémon, which actually managed to make contact. However, the attack simply wasn't powerful enough as Ekans was able to shake it off rather easily. It then went on to try and bite Pikachu again, forcing the little mouse to do everything within its power to evade.

As he watched this go down, Takashi noticed that Froakie wasn't fairing any better than Pikachu and wondered what he was going to do. It was clear that Bruce wasn't playing around this time as he was determined to finish things once and for all. This caused Takashi to start to panic a little bit, as he never faced odds like this before. And, to make matters even worse, Bruce had Ekans and Mankey press on their attack, making it even harder for either Pikachu or Froakie to do anything.

Eventually, Froakie's injuries finally managed to catch up with it as it failed to avoid Mankey's Low Sweep attack, causing it to fall to the ground. At the same time, Ekans managed to send Pikachu flying into Froakie after it used its long tail to grab a hold of the Mouse Pokémon and toss it around. The two Pokémon then went on to corner Pikachu and Froakie, backing them until they reached a nearby wall.

"It's been fun…but it's time to end this little game of ours," Bruce stated before pointing directly at his 2 opponents. "Ekans, use Poison Sting on Pikachu and Mankey, use Thunder Punch on Froakie!"

Right away, both Pokémon complied with Bruce's command and proceeded to launch their respective attacks. With nowhere to run, the only thing Pikachu and Froakie could do was brace themselves as Mankey charged its fist with electricity and Ekans got ready to fire poisonous needles from its mouth. However, just as they got ready to launch their attacks, someone suddenly came in between them and shielded Pikachu and Froakie.

With a shocked look on both of their faces, Pikachu and Froakie watched as Takashi was struck from behind by his opponent's attacks, causing him to scream agony as a result. Although surprised by this sudden turn of events, Mankey and Ekans continued on with their attacks, managing to force Takashi to one knee. Despite that though, the young Trainer remained firm and managed to withstand this onslaught long enough until both Mankey and Ekans finally stopped.

Once the attack ended, Pikachu instantly rushed over towards its Trainer, tearfully wondering if he was alright. Although he didn't answer right away and was breathing rather heavily, Takashi looked down at Pikachu and gave it a small smile. He then went on to gently pet its head before looking over at Froakie and smiling at it as well.

"Don't worry…this is nothing." Takashi said, obviously lying. "I'm just glad both of you are alright."

As Takashi continued to try and reassure Pikachu and Froakie, the latter was completely stunned by what it just witnessed. Never before as it ever seen someone take an attack like just to defend it. However, Takashi did and as he started tumbling towards the ground, Froakie was left amazed by the resolve of this young Pokémon Trainer.

Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way as Froakie as Ekans, Mankey, and especially Bruce were furious by Takashi's sudden intervention. Finally at his wits end with him, Bruce decided to put an end to this little game and had both Mankey and Ekans focus their wrath on Takashi. He did this knowing that once Takashi is gone, Froakie and Pikachu would be defenseless and unable to stand against him.

"It's time for you to meet your end…" He said in a soft, yet cruel tone. "Ekans…Mankey…Kill him now!"

Upon hearing him say that, Pikachu let out a loud scream as it quickly got in front of Takashi and prepared to defend him. Even though they've only known each other for about a week, Pikachu has grown to truly care about its Trainer and wasn't about to let him die. Because of that, the Mouse Pokémon started gathering all the energy it could muster just as Mankey and Ekans prepared to attack. This resulted in Pikachu awakening a brand new power, much to shock of everyone involved.

The new power that Pikachu awakened caused all the energy that was enveloping its body to condense into a large orb of electricity that was placed just above its tail. Once it built up enough power, Pikachu threw this electric orb at both Ekans and Mankey, dealing them a considerable amount of damage as they were both sent flying backwards. Although this greatly surprised Bruce, it ended up surprising both Takashi and Pikachu even more, prompting the former to pull his PokéDex in order to get some answers.

" _Electro Ball, an Electric-Type move,"_ The device explained, _"When a Pokémon uses Electro Ball, they throw a powerful orb of pure electricity at their opponent. The move is more powerful the faster its user is to their opponent."_

Once the PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi looked back over towards Pikachu, amazed that it was able to learn such a powerful move. He then watched as the Mouse Pokémon rushed over to him, wondering if he was truly alright. This prompted Takashi once again pet the top of Pikachu's head, silently telling it that he was.

Meanwhile, Ekans and Mankey were slowly picking themselves back up after being struck by Pikachu's new attack. When he saw this, Bruce became extremely worried as he wasn't expecting such a development this late in the battle. If things kept going like this then there was a good chance that he might lose, an outcome that he refused to let happen. With that in mind, he angrily turned his attention back towards Takashi, just as he was starting to pick himself back up.

"Don't think this changes anything!" He told him. "Even with that new move you're still no match for me!"

"…I'm not so sure about that," Takashi replied. "I think this changes everything."

Once he got back to his feet, Takashi looked over towards Ekans and Mankey and saw that both of them were still reeling from Pikachu's Electro Ball. If he managed to get one more attack on the two of them, Takashi believed that he would have this battle in the bag. All he needed was a little bit of time for Pikachu to build up the necessary power to do so. While trying to figure out how to do that, Froakie stepped in to give them the time they needed.

Without even needed to question it, Takashi could tell from the look in its eyes that Froakie was confident that it could provide Pikachu with enough time to charge its attack. As a result, the young man silently nodded at the Bubble Frog, who went on to do the same. Froakie then went on to charge towards Mankey and Ekans, using all the power it had left to do so.

"That's right!" Bruce said as he watched Froakie get closer. "Come on over and face you're destiny! Ekans, use Wrap and Mankey, use Karate Chop!"

Right away, Ekans and Mankey leaped towards the charging Froakie and got ready to use the attacks that Bruce told them to use. Upon seeing them do that, Froakie acted accordingly and went on to blow a few bubbles from its mouth. The bubbles went on to hit Ekans eyes, causing it to stop for an instant and try to correct its vision.

After Ekans was successfully stopped, Froakie then went on to narrowly avoid Mankey's Karate Chop, who quickly followed up by trying to connect with another Thunder Punch. Fortunately for Froakie though, it grabbed a piece of its Frubbles and threw it at Mankey's face, blinding it as well. Once both Pokémon were unable to see, Froakie called out towards Takashi, telling him that the time to finish this had now come.

"Good work, Froakie!" He said proudly. "Now Pikachu…End this with Electro Ball!"

Nodding its head, Pikachu once again mustered all the power that resided within its body and condensed it into another powerful orb of electricity. It then went on to use its tail to launch the orb at Mankey and Ekans, with Froakie managing to jump out of the way before the attack could connect. Once the attack did connect, a huge explosion occurred and when the smoke cleared both Mankey and Ekans were lying on the ground, completely unconscious.

Once the battle was seemingly over, Bruce was utterly stunned that both Mankey, who he trained to learn Thunder Punch, and Ekans, who was his strongest Pokémon, were defeated. This wasn't how it was suppose to go for him. He was supposed to capture Froakie and bring it with him to his organization. But, that wasn't the case now as Froakie is the one who was victorious, thanks in no small part to Takashi and his Pikachu. This realization angered him greatly, but he soon remembered something extremely important, causing him to laugh hysterically.

"Don't think that this over, you fool!" He said as he continued to laugh. "This battle has only just begun! Nidoran…Koffing…Come here now!"

For a moment, Takashi was shocked as he also forgot about Nidoran and Koffing and braced himself for their arrival. However, for some strange reason, the two of them didn't appear. This confused Bruce, prompting him to call them again.

"Nidoran and Koffing, get over here now! It's time for you to start pulling your weight!"

Again, neither one of them appeared, angering Bruce even more. As he started searching the area for them, Froakie noticed something from the corner of its eye and saw that both Nidoran and Koffing were busy hiding behind a nearby trash can. Having watched what just unfolded, the two Pokémon knew right away that they would be no match for either Froakie or Pikachu, even if they were not at 100 percent. Not only that, but the two of them also didn't want to have to deal with Bruce, knowing what will happen to the two of them if they lost. Because of that, Nidoran and Koffing silently fled the area while Bruce was still looking for them.

Soon, once he realized that they weren't coming, Bruce turned back towards Takashi and watched as he, Pikachu, and Froakie were to reeling from all the damage they took. Even though he didn't have any more Pokémon to battle with, Bruce believed that he could still accomplish his mission if managed to defeat them while they were still recovering. With that in mind, the villain started charging towards all 3 of them, aiming for Takashi first. However, the young man had saw this act and responded accordingly.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock and Froakie, use Bubble!"

Turning around, Pikachu and Froakie faced Bruce and proceeded to launch their respective attacks at him. The combination of the water and electricity created a large explosion that sent Bruce finally into a nearby wall, knocking him out. Once that happened, Takashi then went on to grab a piece of rope that was lying by a trash can used it to tie up Bruce's arms and legs, preventing him from moving once he finally wakes up.

After he finally finished, Takashi let out a small sigh as he suddenly fell to the ground completely exhausted. Pikachu and Froakie quickly ran up to him, both of whom were concerned for his well being. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Takashi smiled at the two Pokémon and went to pet both of their heads again. This continued until a police car suddenly appeared and Officer Jenny exited from it.

"What the hell…?" She said, clearly confused by everything that she was seeing. "Takashi…what happened here?"

"…Simple Officer Jenny," Takashi replied. "We won…WE WON!"

* * *

3 days have passed since the battle against Bruce came to an end and, for the most part, life in Viridian City has finally returned to normal. Shortly after Bruce's defeat, Officer Jenny went on to arrest him for his crimes and proceeded to confiscate any Pokémon he had in his possession, including his Ekans. However, while she was doing this, Jenny noticed that Mankey had fled from the area. Although somewhat concerned about that, the officer decided to search for the Pig Monkey Pokémon another time, as arresting Bruce was more important.

After the arrest was made, Jenny went on to thank Takashi again, knowing that a lot more damage might've occurred if he hadn't intervened. Although flattered by her kind words, Takashi gave all the credit for this victory to the Pokémon instead. He knew that if didn't have Pikachu and Froakie by his side then none of this would be possible. In his eyes, this victory was just as much theirs as it was his. This made both Pikachu and Froakie very happy, especially the latter.

For what seemed like ages, Froakie's thoughts had been fixated on what happened to it in the past. Its abandonment left a noticeable scar in its heart and although it encountered people like Haru and Nurse Joy, who was always kind to it, Froakie found it extremely hard to trust others again and became rather silent as a result. However, in the span of just a few days, all that changed and the one responsible for that was none other than Takashi Nakamura.

Froakie was now a lot more open with its feelings, often smiling or looking intently whenever Takashi or Pikachu were around. Although it was still burdened by what happened in the past, and could possibly always will be, the Bubble Frog Pokémon was at least able to put it behind it somewhat and move forward. This made those who knew Froakie very happy, especially Haru as she was relieved that her little friend was able to get that massive chip off of its shoulder.

Eventually, after spending a few days resting at the Pokémon Center, Takashi, Pikachu, and Froakie were finally discharged. The three of them then headed over to Haru's bread stand, who welcomed all 3 of them with some fresh pastries. Just taking a single bite out of them allowed the trio to feel the amount of love that Haru put into creating them, making the pastries taste even better as a result. Seeing them enjoy her baking made Haru feel even happier, prompting her to offer them some more.

As the group continued to eat, Haru watched as Takashi take to time to offer some of his bread to both Pikachu and Froakie, who happily went on to eat it. She then watched Froakie go on to help Takashi and Pikachu with their training. Seeing all of this once again confirmed her belief in Takashi, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that was indeed the one. Because of that, the old woman let out a small smile as she began making her way up to Takashi and the Pokémon.

"Excuse me Takashi…" She said, calling out to him. "But now that everything with that Bruce fellow is finally over…there's something really important that I need to talk to you about."

Looking towards her, Takashi remembered that Haru indeed wanted to discuss something with him and the two occasions prior, Bruce interfered. Now that he was in jail, Takashi decided that the time was indeed right to hear what Haru had to same to him. With that, the young Trainer walked over towards her, with both Pikachu and Froakie going on to rest on his shoulders.

"So what did you want to talk about Ms. Haru?" He asked her.

"Listen Takashi…" She started off. "I already told you about what happened to Froakie…and how it's spent the last 6 months searching for a Trainer that it could not only help it become stronger, but also one that Froakie could call its friend. It's been a long 6 months…but I truly believe that Froakie has finally found the Trainer it's been looking for."

Somewhat surprised by that, Takashi's eyes lit up as he wondered who this mysterious Trainer was. When she saw his confusion, Haru giggled silently to herself as even though Takashi held a lot of potential for someone just starting out as a Pokémon Trainer, who was also somewhat clueless too. Eventually, the old woman decided to just come out and say it, starting off by pointing directly at Takashi.

"It's you Takashi…You're the Trainer Froakie's been searching for."

Now fully surprised by Haru's words, Takashi couldn't bring himself to believe what he just learned. Out of all the Pokémon Trainers that have come and gone through Viridian City, the one that Froakie has been searching for all this time was him. It was almost too incredible to believe, but Takashi could tell from the look on Haru's face that she was indeed telling the truth.

Soon, as the young man continued to process all of this, Haru took the opportunity to grab Froakie from off of Takashi's shoulder. She then smiled at the Water-Type, assuring it that it made the right choice and that she would support it completely. Once she put Froakie on the ground and had it directly face Takashi, Haru looked back over to him and finally made her request.

"Takashi Nakamura...will you please take Froakie with you on your Pokémon Journey?"

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _How will Takashi respond to Haru's request? Will he take agree to take Froakie with him or will he decline? Also, where is Mankey and how will it respond after being dealt another humiliating defeat?_

 _Next Time, Chapter 6 – The First Catch_


	6. Chapter 6

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 6:** _The First Catch_

* * *

"Excuse me…But you want me to do what?

When he was just a little boy there were two things Takashi Nakamura wanted to do once he became a Pokémon Trainer. The first is to achieve his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master, a dream he intends to accomplish no matter what. The second is to capture and raise every single Pokémon that exists in the world. This second dream stems from the motto that most Trainers learn just before they start off on their Journeys; Gotta catch'em all.

The two goals are seemingly impossible to achieve, especially the later as there are currently over 800 known Pokémon in the world, with the number only increasing as the years go by. Despite that though, Takashi still desires to accomplish this goal and his main reason for doing so is that he can be friends with all 802 Pokémon. As of right now, Takashi only has 1 Pokémon and that's his Pikachu. Now, as he and his little friend look on, Takashi may have the chance to capture his second Pokémon.

Following the incidents in Viridian City, in which he help put away a criminal named Bruce, Takashi and Pikachu managed to befriend a little Water-Type Pokémon named Froakie. Having been abandoned by its previous Trainer, Froakie spent its days roaming all of Viridian City as a mysterious, yet noble, Masked Pokémon who would protect those in need of help. It was during one of those encounters that it met Takashi and, just like with Pikachu, their two lives have intertwined ever since.

After helping Froakie deal with Bruce, as well as his Pokémon allies, Takashi and Pikachu have managed to successfully earn its trust and become good friends with it as a result. This was noticed by Haru, Froakie's caretaker, who desperately wanted to find a kindhearted Trainer who could properly raise and be with the lonely Bubble Frog Pokémon. Haru, believing that she found that Trainer in Takashi, a made a particular request to the young Trainer, a request that surprised him immensely.

"That's right…" She said with a warm smile on her face. "I would like for you to take Froakie with you on your Pokémon Journey."

Upon hearing Haru's request again, Takashi's eyes slowly lit up in confusion. Although he planned on capturing every single Pokémon in the world, Takashi believed that he would simply start off by catching common ones, like Pidgey and Rattata. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would have the opportunity to capture a Pokémon like Froakie this early in his career. Still, even though a part of him was excited about this, Takashi was mostly confused as to why this was happening at all.

"…Why me?" He asked her. "I mean…I'm just a new Pokémon Trainer and I haven't even been one for a week. Certainly there's someone more qualified."

"Are you saying that you don't want to have Froakie as your Pokémon?" Haru replied.

"No…that's not it at all. It's just…"

Scratching the back of his head for a moment, Takashi looked down and stared at Froakie, who was busy staring back at him and Pikachu. As the 3 of them looked at one another, Takashi thought about what Haru told him about Froakie's past. The Bubble Frog Pokémon has been through a lot, from being ruthlessly abandoned by its previous Trainer to roaming all of Viridian City by itself. It seemed almost too much to take, but Froakie kept pushing forward, not allowing himself to look back. Given all that, Takashi wondered if he even had the right to capture a Pokémon with such resolve.

As she waited for him to respond, Haru looked on at Takashi and could tell right away what was on his mind. She knew that he was debating on whether or not he should capture Froakie, which is something that she actually wanted him to do. This wasn't a request that could be answered immediately, as it would determine the fate of 2 individuals. She wanted Takashi to truly think about it, if only because she knew how he truly felt.

Haru knows that Takashi is an extremely kind person, one who isn't able to stand by when someone is in trouble. She knew this because she knew Froakie, who had a similar personality. Because of that, the old woman truly believed that not only were the two of them destined to encounter one another, but befriend each other as well. As a result, Haru knew that if there was anyone who could possibly take care of Froakie and raise it to be the Pokémon that it's destined to be, it's Takashi Nakamura.

Eventually, after spending about 10 minutes thinking about it, Takashi finally came up with his answer. He then proceeded to pull out an empty PokéBall that was attached to his belt and pressed the button in the middle in order to make it bigger. Once he did that, the young man then went on to stare at Froakie again before turning his attention back towards Haru.

"I'm…not entirely sure if I'm the right person for this, but I would to have Froakie with me on my Journey," He explained. "I'm sure that with it and Pikachu by my side…we can accomplish anything we put our minds too. However, I'll only capture Froakie on one condition."

"And what would that be?" Haru questioned.

Taking a moment to stare at the PokéBall that he was holding, Takashi knelt down to one knee and stare directly at Froakie. He then placed the PokéBall on the ground, right between the two of them.

"…I'll only capture Froakie if it truly wants to come with me. In other words, I'll let it choose."

Upon hearing this, Haru was both shocked and amazed by Takashi's decision. Normally, Trainers choose what Pokémon they want to capture and the Pokémon themselves don't have much of a say in the matter. However, in this instance, Takashi was taking away his ability to choose Froakie and instead gave that choice to Froakie instead. If Froakie wants to be with him then it will allow itself to be captured and if not then it won't do anything. In either case, Takashi would accept Froakie's choice.

As Takashi waited for Froakie to respond, the Bubble Frog Pokémon stared silently at him as it thought about what it should do. From the bottom of its heart, Froakie did in fact want to go with Takashi. There was something about him that made him different from all the other Trainers that it has encountered. He was kinder and more thoughtful, always thinking about a Pokémon's needs before his own. It's because of that mindset that Takashi was able to save Froakie's life during the incident with Bruce. It's for that reason that Froakie felt like he owed a lot to this young man and believed that going with him would, at least in small part, pay back that debt.

However, while did it in fact feel that way, Froakie still had doubts about leaving. It still carried the scars of being abandoned by its previous Trainer and although it believed that Takashi wouldn't do that, those fears persisted. Not only that, but Froakie was also concerned about Haru. Although it doesn't show it very often, Froakie is very appreciative for everything that she's done for it ever since they first met. If it left, she would be all alone and that's something Froakie was unsure it could allow.

With all of these factors running through its head, Froakie was unsure on what it truly wanted to do. So, in order to clear its thoughts, the Water-Type Pokémon grabbed the Frubbles that were on its back and used them to make its trademark mask. It then jumped off and fled from the area, leaving Haru confused and Takashi looking on as he watched it jump away.

"But I was certain that Froakie would want to come with you…" Haru said, still confused by Froakie's decision. "I can't understand why it would leave."

"I'm sure it has its reasons," Takashi said, picking up the PokéBall he placed on the ground. "It probably believes that it has a duty to stay here and watch over the people of Viridian City. After everything it's done for others, I think I can understand why. Still…it would've been awesome to have a Pokémon like that by my side."

As Takashi spoke those words, the young man was silently gripping the PokéBall that he was holding in his hand. Although he told himself that he would accept Froakie's decision and he has every intention of doing so, it still hurt to be seemingly rejected. When Pikachu noticed this, the Mouse Pokémon felt bad and tried to cheer him up by gently rubbing against its face. Seeing his partner do that did in fact make Takashi feel a bit better, causing him to gently pet Pikachu's head.

Once he finished petting his little friend, Takashi once again stared at his PokéBall before shrinking it and placing it back on his belt. He then turned his attention towards Haru, who still seemed a bit mixed about Froakie's decision. The young man then went on to smile at her, silently telling Haru that it's alright. Upon seeing that smile, Haru started to feel better herself, causing her to smile as well. With that settled, Takashi decided that the time had finally come for him and Pikachu to resume their Pokémon Journey.

"Well…I think it's time we got going," He said. "I hope to see you again, Ms. Haru."

"…I agree," Haru replied. "I hope to see you too, Takashi. Good luck on the rest of your Journey."

Nodding his head, Takashi smiled at Haru one more time before getting ready to head out. However, just as he turned around, something interesting suddenly happened. From out of nowhere, a piece of paper flew through the air and struck him directly in the face. After being stunned by this for a moment, Takashi removed the paper from off of him and instinctively prepared himself to throw it away. However, just as he was about to do so, the young Trainer recognized something on the paper that instantly caused him to stop.

What Takashi saw on the paper was an advertisement for the Pokémon League, the competition he heard about while at the Pokémon Center a few days ago. Back then he was going to ask someone about it, but became preoccupied with everything involving Froakie and simply forgot about it. Now that he's seeing it again, those thoughts were now coming back and his interest in the Pokémon League returned as a result.

As Takashi continued to stare at the flyer, Haru walked over towards him in order to see what he was staring at. Once she reached him and said what was on the flyer, the old woman smiled again. She then noticed right away that Takashi was wondering about the Pokémon League and so she decided to tell him about it before he left to continue on with his Journey.

"The Pokémon League is an annual competition that determines who's the strongest Trainer in the entire Kanto Region," She started off.

Surprised by the fact that she was suddenly started talking about the League, Takashi jumped up for a second as he turned towards Haru. He was then about to say something, but Pikachu soon covered his mouth so that he wouldn't interrupt. The two of them then proceeded to listen as Haru continued on with her explanation.

"I've never competed in the League myself, but I do know \that in order to participate a Trainer must first obtain at least 8 Badges from a variety of Gyms sanctioned by the Pokémon League Committee. These Gyms are located all over Kanto and are run by powerful Trainers known as Gym Leaders, whose job is to test a Trainer and their Pokémon so that their strong and resourceful enough to compete in the League. If a Trainer defeats a Gym Leader then they earn that Gym's Badge."

While listening to Haru's explanation, Takashi gently placed his hand upon his chin as he thought about what he just learned. According to her, all Takashi needed to do in order to enter the Pokémon League is to simply travel around to where these Gyms are and defeat the Leaders who run them. Once he did that he would then earn their Badge and as soon as he had 8 of them he could enter the League. It all sounded pretty simple in the grand scheme of things.

"Alright then…" He said. "That doesn't sound too hard."

"That's what you think," Haru countered. "For starters, a Trainer only has from the moment the League ends until when it starts up again to collect the 8 Gym Badges needed to compete. That's only about a year and I heard that it's not easy to travel all across the Kanto Region in that time span. Secondly, I also heard that a Gym Battle only becomes more difficult as a Trainer collects more and more Badges. It's not as easy as you think it is…as thousands of Trainers from all over the world come to Kanto to compete and only a fraction of them are able too."

Once Haru finished her explanation she looked on at Takashi and watched as he slowly began to realize how daunting the task before him really is. She was right to say that it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it would be. In fact, as he continued to think about it, a part of Takashi became frighten at the thought of facing this challenge. However, while he did feel a bit afraid, Takashi also felt extremely excited at the same time.

As Haru watch a small smile appear on his face, Takashi believed that this was the opportunity that he's been searching for. In order to achieve his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master, the young man knew that he would have to face a challenge such as this. Now that it's been placed before him, Takashi knew that he couldn't back out. No matter what obstacle that they had to face, both Takashi and Pikachu had every intention of overcoming them and the Pokémon League was no exception.

"Awesome…Now I want to compete in the Pokémon League even more! Could you please tell me where the nearest Gym is located, Ms. Haru?"

Upon seeing the determination that was on his face, Haru became a bit surprised by Takashi. Despite everything that she just told him, this young man was still determined to try and enter the Pokémon League. Not only that, but she could also tell that Takashi was looking even further beyond the tournament itself, considering it a stepping stone to reach his greater goals. Because of this, Haru couldn't help but be impressed by his resolve, even if it seemed like it boarder into the realm of overconfidence.

"Well…there was a Gym located right here in Viridian City," She stated. "But the Gym Leader left for some reason and the Gym's been closed ever since. Fortunately, there's another located in Pewter City. It's just beyond the Viridian Forest."

After hearing Haru say that, Takashi pulled out his PokéGear and used its map function in order to confirm what she said. He then saw that Haru was indeed correct and that Pewter City was indeed just beyond the Viridian Forest. If he left now he could possibly make it there in about 2 weeks. As a result, he quickly put his PokéGear away and prepared to rush off towards his and Pikachu's next destination. However, before he could get too far, Haru stopped him by grabbing onto the hood of his jacket.

"Hold it…Before you can challenge any Gyms you must first register to compete in the Pokémon League. You can do that at the Pokémon Center right here in Viridian."

"Right…then I'll head over there right now," Takashi said. "Thanks for the info, Ms. Haru."

With that said, Takashi quickly rushed off for the Pokémon Center with Pikachu following close behind. As she watched him leave, Haru took a moment to think about Froakie again before imagining it running alongside both Takashi and Pikachu. This prompted her to go and find the Bubble Frog Pokémon in order to try and convince it to leave with Takashi. Because of that, Haru temporarily closed down her bread stand and walked off into the direction that Froakie hopped off too.

* * *

A little while after it left to go clear its head, Froakie was busy sitting on top of a small building in the middle of Viridian City. The little Water-Type Pokémon would usually come to this spot often, either to spot people who were danger or to simply think about something quietly to itself. This was a case for the later, as Froakie was still debating on whether or not it should go with Takashi and Pikachu. It was a big decision and the Bubble Frog was still wondering on what it really wanted to do.

When it was first abandoned, Froakie was emotionally crushed, so much so that it felt that it couldn't really trust anybody afterwards. Even when it was found by Haru and taken in by her, that distrust still remained and for a long time, Froakie believed that feeling would never go away. However, while that feeling still persisted for most of the people it knew, Froakie couldn't say that it distrusted Takashi.

These last couple of days with him has allowed Froakie to see firsthand that Takashi Nakamura is indeed a trustworthy individual. He's willing to give his life to protect what's most important to him and that's something that Froakie not only respected, but admired as well. Because of that, Froakie simply couldn't understand why it was still having doubts about joining him. Eventually though, Froakie realized what was causing its hesitation. It wasn't Takashi who was causing it, but rather Froakie itself.

Froakie was afraid, but not of Takashi nor of his ability to take of it. Instead, Froakie was afraid that it wouldn't be a good enough Pokémon for him instead. Somewhere within the depths of its heart, a part of Froakie believed that the reason its previous Trainer abandoned it was because of its own weakness. The Water-Type did everything within its power to prove itself to its old Trainer, taking all kinds of abuse as a result, but simply couldn't measure up in his eyes. It's because of what happened that Froakie silently feared being weak, as it was that weakness that caused its tragedy to begin with.

As the Bubble Frog Pokémon continued to sort out its own feelings and insecurities, it soon noticed something back on the streets. Taking a closer look, Froakie saw that the thing it noticed was none other than Haru, who was busy looking for it. Just looking at her caused Froakie to once again remember all the good things that Haru has done for it. The old woman gave it a home when nobody else would and treated it with the upmost kindness and respect. Froakie owed a lot to Haru and again wondered if leaving her was truly the right thing to do.

While thinking about this, Froakie also took notice of something else going on. From a corner that Haru just walked past, Froakie saw both Nidoran and Koffing. The two of them haven't been seen since they fled from the battle against Bruce and Froakie wondered if they were up to no good again. Because of that, the Water-Type prepared itself to jump down and prevent them from messing with Haru. However, just as it was about to do so, Froakie stopped when it saw Haru turn around and look at the two Poison-Type Pokémon.

"Oh my…" She said to them. "Look at you two. I can tell you're starving. Here, I think have something you can snack on."

Looking into her purse, Haru smiled and proceeded to pull out two loafs of bread that she had on her. She then presented both loafs to Nidoran and Koffing, who seemed genuinely surprised by her kind gesture. At first, the two Pokémon seemed unsure on whether or not to accept this, but they ultimately relented when both of their stomachs started to growl loudly. Upon eating the bread, both Nidoran and Koffing smiled gleefully as it was the most delicious food they've ever tasted in their lives, causing Haru to smile in return.

Once she saw them finish eating, Haru walked over towards Nidoran and Koffing and went on to gently pet both of their heads. Having heard about the misadventures that the two of them cause, along with their partner Mankey, Haru wondered what would motivate them to go out their way to cause so much trouble. However, after looking at them just once, Haru realized the real reason behind their actions. The Pokémon were just like Froakie was in the beginning, very lonely.

Although she didn't know the exact reason behind their loneliness, Haru could tell that Nidoran and Koffing were simply desired a life of happiness and companionship. However, most the people in Viridian City didn't want anything to do with them, causing the sadness they felt to turn into anger and jealousy. Because of that, they lashed out at the citizens, wanting them to experience the same pain that they felt. Haru understood their pain as she believed, if she hadn't been there for it, Froakie might've done the same thing. It's for that one reason that Haru decided to do something about this.

"Say…Why don't the two of you stay with me."

Upon hearing Haru's kind offer, both Nidoran and Koffing looked at her with utter shock. However, the one who was most surprised by this was none other than Froakie, who's eyes lit up and jaw dropped. It then immediately jumped down from the building it was standing on and stepped in between Haru and the two Pokémon, surprising them all. Haru then looked as Froakie began expressing its disapproval of this choice of hers.

As Haru listened to her little friend, a small smiled slowly began to appear on her face. She then went on to gently pet the top of Froakie's head, causing the Water Pokémon to stop its rant. Having spent so many months dealing with Nidoran, Koffing, and Mankey, Haru knew that Froakie distrusted them and that allowing them to stay with her could be a big mistake. However, although she knew that this choice could possibly end up costing her in the long run, Haru decided to put her faith in Nidoran and Koffing, just like she did with Froakie all those months ago.

"Listen Froakie…" She said to it. "I understand why you're upset about this…but can't you understand where I'm coming from? I can tell that these two have been through a lot, just like you. For so long now, they had nowhere to go and could only rely on themselves to look out for one another. Sure they made some mistakes, but it wasn't entirely their fault. Everyone deserves a second chance in life Froakie…just like you received a second chance."

After listening to Haru's speech, Froakie calmed down a bit and thought about what she said. It then turned around and looked at Nidoran and Koffing, who nervously looked back at it. Right away, the Water-Type could tell that the two of them were not here to fight and that they were strongly considering Haru's offer. Not only that, but Froakie also noticed something different about Nidoran and Koffing. It saw that the two of them were considering changing their ways.

For what seemed like the longest time, Nidoran and Koffing lashed out at the world because of the poor treatment they received. However, doing that didn't change anything for them. It only caused people to hate them even more and even Pokémon like Froakie had to take care of them. One cannot stop injustice with more injustice and one cannot stop hatred with more hatred. It's a never ending cycle, one that can only end through kindness and compassion. Haru realized that and offered that same compassion to Froakie when it really needed it. Now she wanted to do the same thing for Nidoran and Koffing, who not only needed it but also longed for it.

With that in mind, Froakie turned back towards Haru for a moment before seemingly preparing to allow her to walk towards Nidoran and Koffing. However, at the last moment, Froakie noticed something else from the corner of its eyes. Surprised by what it saw, Froakie grabbed a piece of its Frubbles and threw it at the thing it saw, who easily jumped out of the way. When it came back towards the ground, Froakie frowned as the thing it saw was none other than its old enemy, Mankey.

Having spent the last couple of days in hiding following its most recent defeat, Mankey has spent that time reflecting on its life, just like Nidoran and Koffing had done. However, unlike the two of them, Mankey had no interest in wanting to change its ways or be friends with anyone. All Mankey desired was getting vengeance on those who wronged it and the first one it planned on targeting was none other than Froakie.

As Mankey prepared itself for battle and Froakie braced itself to combat it again, Haru quickly realized what was going on and decided to do something about it. Because of this, she stepped in between the two Pokémon before any fighting could begin between them.

"Stop it!" She declared. "There's no reason for you to fight. Can't you see that doing that will lead to nowhere?"

Froakie tried to get Haru to move out of the way, knowing that she could get hurt if she got to close to Mankey. However, the old woman didn't care about getting injured. All she wanted to do was to try and help Mankey and to rid it of the pain that was devouring its soul. Because of that, Haru pulled out one last piece of bread that she had on her and offered it out to Mankey as a sign of friendship. Unfortunately, Mankey returned Haru's kindness with a Low Sweep attack, knocking her painfully towards the ground.

Seeing her friend get hurt like that nearly sent Froakie over the edge and it would've attacked Mankey in a rage if something else didn't happen first. What happened is that both Nidoran and Koffing ran up to Mankey and tried to convince it to stop. In the beginning, it was Mankey who gave the two of them a sense of purpose after they found themselves all alone. Even though following it caused them to make many wrongs, both Nidoran and Koffing were grateful to Mankey and thus wanted to repay it by showing the Fighting-Type that they didn't have to fight anymore.

Sadly, despite its friends protest, Mankey wasn't going to stand by and be lectured. If Nidoran and Koffing were going to stand in its way, then they're no better than Froakie. Because of that, the Pig Monkey Pokémon started attacking its former friends, showing them no mercy. This finally caused Froakie to step in as it no longer stand by and allow Mankey to continue doing this. Upon seeing that, Mankey stopped its brutal assault and once again engaged in a battle against its hated enemy.

As the battle between them finally commence, Mankey attacked Froakie with all the speed and power that it could muster. After everything that it's been through and all the hatred that it held, Mankey needed to destroy Froakie, if only to validate that it wasn't wrong in taking this path of revenge. However, no matter how hard it tried or what attacks it used, Mankey wasn't able to land a significant blow on Froakie.

With its injuries completely healed and having learned from its previous battles against it, Froakie was now able to fight against Mankey more effectively. However, perhaps more importantly, Froakie was fighting for something more important than revenge. It was fighting for others and that, more than anything, gave it the strength needed to overcome its foe once again. Eventually, the battle seemingly came to and after Froakie blinded Mankey with some Frubbles, after it attempted to attack with a Thunder Punch. It then knocked the Pig Monkey Pokémon onto the ground, standing right on top of it.

Upon being defeated again, Mankey's anger finally reached its boiling point. It tried to attack Froakie while it was pinned down, but the Water-Type simply used its Frubbles to immobilize its limbs and keep it from moving. Once it did that, Froakie thought about finishing Mankey off so that their constant battles could finally come to end. Fortunately, just before it do that, Froakie suddenly remembered what Haru said to it earlier.

 _Everyone deserves a second chance in life Froakie…just like you received a second chance._

After remembering those words, Froakie stopped itself from launching its final attack. If it continued, the Water-Type knew that it would be no better than what Mankey is now. That's not what Froakie wants to become and the Bubble Frog knows that what Haru and Takashi wants it to become either. Because of this, Froakie decided to stop fighting and thus got off of Mankey and began walking back towards Haru and the others.

As Mankey watched Froakie walk away, something snapped within its already fragile state of mind. Seeing its enemy, the one it hated the most, take pity on it caused Mankey to experience an anger and a shame that it never experienced before in its entire life. This resulted in something unexpected happening to the Pig Monkey Pokémon, something that quickly caught Haru's attention.

"Froakie…Behind you!"

Turning around, Froakie watched as a sudden change started to occur with Mankey. Its body started to glow a bright blue and white color and its body started to change shape. When this transformation finally came to an end and the glow surrounding its body faded away, Mankey looked a bit different than it did previously. Its arms and legs had a stronger build to them and around its wrists and ankles were metal shackles. However, its biggest change was its hands, which now resembled large boxing gloves. When Haru saw this, the old woman instantly realized what just happened.

"Mankey…it just evolved into Primeape…"

Evolution is a phenomenon that occurs with roughly 90% of all the Pokémon that currently resides in the world. When it happens not only does a Pokémon's physical characteristics change, but their strength as well. In truth, when a Pokémon evolves it's no longer the Pokémon that was previously. This was the case for Mankey, who's now the far more dangerous Primeape.

With its new strength, Primeape was able to easily break free from Froakie's restraints and pick itself up from off the ground. When Froakie saw this, the Bubble Frog Pokémon attempted to prepare itself for another battle. However, just it did so, Primeape suddenly appeared behind Froakie, its evolution greatly boosting its speed as well as its power. It then punched the Water-Type right in the job, causing it to slam into a nearby wall.

After shaking out the cobwebs from that attack, Froakie attempted to counter by firing its Bubble Attack at Primeape. However, by just using its boxing glove hands, the Pig Monkey Pokémon was able to block the attack. It then dashed over towards Froakie, attempting to strike with a fierce Low Kick. Froakie tried jumping out of the way, but Primeape anticipated this and brought Froakie back down with its Karate Chop attack. Once it did that, Primeape then assaulted Froakie with a barrage of fierce blows, each one becoming more and more devastating.

As Haru looked on with a concerned look on her face, both Nidoran and Koffing were unsure on what they should do. Just now, Froakie defended them even though it usually saw them as an enemy. Even now, as it continues to be pummeled by Primeape's vicious assault, Froakie refuses to give up and continues on fighting to protect them and Haru. Upon seeing this something suddenly came over Nidoran, causing it to dash over towards Primeape. Shortly after it did that, Koffing proceeded to do the same thing.

Just Primeape was about to launch one more attack on Froakie, Nidoran and Koffing proceeded to use all of their strength to knock it away from the Water-Type. When it saw this, the Pig Monkey quickly knocked away its former friends and prepared to make its way back over towards Froakie. However, Nidoran and Koffing again opposed it, refusing to allow this to continue. This led to a battle between them which, unfortunately, only ended up angering Primeape even more.

By the time Froakie managed to recover somewhat, the Bubble Frog Pokémon watched as Primeape easily beat down both Nidoran and Koffing with hardly any effort. Seeing Primeape do that to its former friends angered Froakie greatly, but it knew that even if it were to join Koffing and Nidoran in the battle, it wouldn't mean much. Because of that, the only thing Froakie knew it could do was at least draw Primeape's attention away from them and back towards itself. With that in mind, Froakie fired another barrage of Bubbles at Primeape.

The bubbles went on to hit Primeape in the back of its head, causing it to stop attacking for a moment and look back towards Froakie. Once it saw him, the Fighting-Type stopped what it was doing and slowly walked towards its foe, just what Froakie wanted it to do. As Haru and the others looked on, Primeape clinched its right fist and proceeded to gather as much electricity as it could into it. Once it built up enough power, Primeape prepared to strike the final blow against its enemy. However…

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Suddenly, from completely out of nowhere, Pikachu appeared and went on to tackle Primeape with such speed and strength that it caused it to fall to the ground. Once that happened, Pikachu then made its way over to Froakie, checking to see if it was alright. After it saw that it could still battle, Pikachu turned back around and prepared itself as Primeape picked itself back up, infuriated by the Electric-Type's sudden appearance.

"Whoa Mankey…you sure have gotten fat."

Turning their heads, Froakie and the others looked on as Takashi appeared and was standing right beside Haru. He then went on to help the old woman up from off the ground before placing her somewhere so that she can rest.

"Takashi…?" She said, confused by his sudden appearance. "What are you doing here…I thought you were heading for the Pokémon Center."

"…I was," Takashi told her. "But I somehow got the feeling that something wasn't right and I decided to come back. Good thing I did."

Looking over at Primeape for a moment, Takashi knew right away that it had evolved from the Mankey that he faced a few days ago. Although he's never seen a Pokémon evolve before, the young man does know enough about evolution from talks with both his mother and Professor Oak. Because of that, Takashi went on to pull out his PokéDex and used it in order to find out more about the kind of Pokémon that Mankey evolved into.

" _Primeape, the Pig Monkey Pokémon and the evolved form of Mankey,"_ The PokéDex said. _"Fury increases Primeape's blood flow and powers up its muscles. Its intelligence drops sharply during a rage. Primeape is a Fighting-Type Pokémon."_

Once his PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi put it back into his pocket before turning his focus back towards Primeape. As he watched it throw a temper tantrum, Takashi couldn't help but snicker to himself as Primeape's attitude was exactly like the PokéDex said it was. Although the Pokémon was quite strong in its rage, it was also becoming rather stupid. Still, despite finding that a bit amusing, Takashi knew that he had to get serious and thus prepared himself for the worst.

Eventually, Primeape finally managed to pick itself back up and it immediately began racing towards Pikachu in a blind fury. It started things off with a Karate Chop, but Pikachu managed to avoid it by sidestepping out of the way. The Mouse Pokémon then dodged out of the way of a Low Sweep attack by jumping high into the air. Once Takashi saw this, he smiled as he knew he had an opening.

"Now Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"

Nodding its head after hearing Takashi's command, Pikachu fired a blast of electricity from its cheeks and directed it at Primeape. The attack struck the Fighting-Type, dealing it a significant amount of damage. However, Primeape's rage and its desire for victory allowed it to overcome any pain that it was feeling. Once it was successfully able to endure Pikachu's attack, Primeape rush over towards it in order to continue its assault.

As the battle progressed, Takashi realized that things wouldn't get anywhere at this rate. Even if Pikachu is able to avoid Primeape's attacks for now, it would only be a matter of time before his partner's endurance runs out. Once that happens, Pikachu would be defeated and Primeape will go back after Froakie and the others. Takashi couldn't allow that to happen and so he needed to figure out a way to bring this battle to an end. Eventually, an idea entered his head that could allow him to do just that.

"Pikachu, stop where you are!"

Shocked by this statement, Haru, Froakie, Nidoran, Koffing, and especially Pikachu turned their heads towards Takashi and wondered just what exactly is through his head. However, after seeing the smile that was on his face, Pikachu instantly understood what its partner wanted and nodded its head as a result. Pikachu then stood still and braced itself as Primeape struck it with a powerful Mega Punch attack.

The power of Primeape's Mega Punch was devastating, so much so in fact that Pikachu nearly passed out from the sheer pain of the attack. However, after remembering Takashi's smile and his confidence in it, Pikachu refused to allow itself to fall. It then went on to grab onto Primeape's fist and, as much as the Pig Monkey attempted to shake it off, Pikachu kept on holding on. Once he saw that, Takashi turned his attention towards Froakie.

"Froakie…" He said to it. "While Pikachu has Primeape preoccupied you to use Bubble. Hurry before it's too late!"

Froakie looked on at Takashi with a confused expression on its face. Given the state that Primeape is in, its Bubble attack wouldn't cause any damage to it at all. It was same with Pikachu's Thunder Shock and so Froakie couldn't understand the meaning behind this. However, just like with Pikachu, Froakie noticed the look of confidence that Takashi was giving it. Just seeing that look gave Froakie a strength that it never experienced before, prompting it to comply too his request and fire its Bubble attack.

Like with Pikachu's Thunder Shock attack earlier, Froakie's Bubble managed to do a bit of damage to Primeape, but wasn't enough to take it down. However, the purpose of the attack wasn't to defeat Primeape, but instead make it wet. Takashi needed Primeape to get covered with enough water so that his next move could give him the results that he wanted. Once saw that was the case, Takashi made his move.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock…This time with your power!"

As Primeape, still blinded by rage, started slamming its body repeatedly into a nearby wall, Pikachu managed to hear Takashi's command. Because of that, the Pokémon gathered all the power that it could muster and unleashed it in one powerful electric attack. The power of the attack was so devastating in fact that Primeape stopped trying to attack Pikachu as it started screaming in agony.

Eventually, after about a solid minute, Pikachu finally ran out energy and ceased its attack. This allowed Primeape to finally throw it off before eventually falling towards the ground. Thankfully, before Pikachu could do the same, Froakie threw some of its Frubbles towards the ground and used them as a make-shift cushion. This allowed Pikachu to land on the ground without sustaining any damage.

Once Froakie walked over towards Pikachu and helped it back to its feet, both Pokémon looked over towards Primeape and waited to see what was going to happen next. Nidoran and Koffing, defeat still being injured from their previous assault, proceeded to do the same thing. As all 4 Pokémon waited, Takashi nervously looked on at the scene, unsure what was going to happen. Did his plan work or did it fail? In the end, the young Trainer didn't know and thus waited. Eventually, after a while, everyone got their answer.

Primeape, despite being gravely injured, managed to slowly pick itself back up. It then started to glare at Froakie and Pikachu before slowly making its way over to them. At first, the two of them thought that Primeape would attack and so prepared themselves to counter. However, just when it seemed like Primeape was about to attack, the Pig Monkey Pokémon finally lost consciousness and fainted right in front of Pikachu and Froakie. The battle was finally over.

With their opponent defeated, Takashi let out a giant sigh of relief. He then walked over towards Primeape and proceeded to tie it up. Once he made sure that it could no longer move, Takashi then walked over towards Nidoran and Koffing. At first, the two Pokémon assumed that the Trainer would go after them next. However, that wasn't the case at all as Takashi simply petted the two of them before smiling at them both.

"Good work you two," He said. "I saw how you two were trying to defend Froakie during the battle. That was very brave…and very kind."

Upon hearing Takashi's kind words, both Nidoran and Koffing were immediately overwhelmed by emotion. The two Pokémon then started crying as this was the first time anyone had treated them so kindly before. Having sensed that was the case, Takashi could only smile as he continued to pet them for a few more minutes. Once he finished, the Trainer then walked over towards Froakie and Pikachu. He then proceeded to pet both of them.

"Great job guys," He said with a smile on his face. "It's thanks to you that we were able to win against Primeape."

As Pikachu smiled as Takashi continued to pet it, Froakie simply stared at Takashi as the Water-Type Pokémon started thinking to itself. Once again, Froakie was saved thanks to Takashi's timely arrival and it's because they worked together that they were able to overcome another powerful opponent. Because of that, Froakie once again wondered if it was alright for it to join Takashi on his Pokémon Journey, especially since it was obvious that a bond has formed between them.

Eventually, after watching Takashi smile at it, Froakie finally made its decision on the matter. With that, it looked back at Haru for a quick second before proceeding to jump towards Takashi and climb onto his waist. It then proceeded to knock down on of his empty PokéBalls towards the ground before jumping back down and staring at him. Upon seeing all of this, Takashi was left a bit confused by what was going on.

"Froakie…what are you…?"

"I think it's rather obvious," Haru said as she walked towards Takashi. "Froakie has decided that it wants to come with you, Takashi."

"...But earlier, I thought it decided that it didn't want to leave," The young man said as he looked towards Haru. "Isn't that the reason why it left earlier?"

"That's what I thought as well…but given everything that's happened just now, Froakie has decided that it's truly wants to be with you. After all, you can't deny that the two of you work well together."

Upon hearing Haru say that, Takashi looked down towards Froakie, who was still staring intently at him. He then recalled the battles that they fought together and knew that Haru was right. Together with Pikachu, Takashi and Froakie were able to push back their opponents and the former believed that if they stick together then they could become even stronger. As a result, Takashi gently nodded his head towards Froakie as he picked up the PokéBall that he placed onto the ground and enlarged it.

Once he had the PokéBall in hand, Takashi prepared to throw it at Froakie, but the Bubble Frog Pokémon stopped him before he could. It then took a moment to look towards Pikachu and proceeded to throw a piece of its Frubbles at it. Although a bit confused, and slightly angry, by this gesture, Pikachu instantly figured out what Froakie wanted to do first. What the Water-Type wanted was to battle against Pikachu and, to highlight this to its Trainer, Pikachu looked towards Takashi and began releasing sparks from its electric sacs. Upon seeing that, Takashi instantly figured out Froakie's intentions and proceeded to nod his head in response. He then went on to grab his father's headband and tie it around his head before looking back towards Froakie.

"Alright Froakie…" He said with an eager look on his face. "If that's what you want, then I won't hold back!"

After tossing his hat towards the side, Takashi watched as Froakie and Pikachu began staring each other down. As they did so, the two Pokémon silently waited to see which of them would make the first move. For about a minute, neither one of them made a move and the air around them became quite tense. However, while Froakie was able to silently keep its composure, Pikachu couldn't bring itself to wait any longer and thus started rushing towards its opponent.

"Pikachu, let's start things off with your Quick Attack!" Takashi commanded.

Agreeing with its Trainer's suggestion, Pikachu instantly picked up the pace and began dashing towards Froakie at an even greater speed. Upon seeing that, Froakie realized that it wouldn't have enough time to get out of the way and thus it went on to grab a few of its Frubbles. Once it had enough, the Bubble Frog Pokémon placed the Frubbles in front of it and used it as a shield against Pikachu's attack. Although the force of the blow was enough to push Froakie back, its makeshift shield managed to reduce the damage it sustained by quite a bit.

When Takashi saw this, the young Trainer was instantly impressed by Froakie's quick reaction to Pikachu's Quick Attack, which only fueled his desire to add this incredible Pokémon to his team. As a result, he quickly made his next move.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

At the very instant Pikachu stopped running, the Mouse Pokémon jumped into the air and fired off a blast of electricity from the electric sacs from its cheek. Although fast, Froakie to see this attack coming and used its impressive jumping ability to successfully avoid it. Although a bit shocked by that, Pikachu didn't lose its nerve and quickly followed up by firing off a barrage of Thunder Shock attacks. Unfortunately, just like the first time, Froakie was able to avoid it.

As the battle between the two Pokémon continued, Takashi noticed that Pikachu was gradually more and more exhausted due to all the energy that it was expending trying to hit Froakie. As for Froakie, even though it was tired as well, it was able to conserve more of its energy as it was using it to evade, not attack. However, the Bubble Frog Pokémon knew that things wouldn't get anywhere if things stayed that way. With that in mind, Froakie waited for its opportunity and it soon found it when Pikachu stopped attacking in order to catch its breath.

Once Pikachu stopped moving, Froakie proceeded to fire a large barrage of bubbles from its mouth and directed them at its target. When Pikachu saw them, the electric mouse quickly picked itself back up and attempted to avoid the bubbles. Unfortunately, Pikachu was too exhausted and even though it managed to evade some of them it wasn't able to avoid them all, resulting in it taking quite a bit of damage.

After Froakie finished its initial assault, the Water-Type then went up to dash towards Pikachu while it was still woozy. As it did so, Takashi noticed that Froakie was preparing to strike its partner with its Pound attack. Knowing that Pikachu couldn't afford to take any more damage, Takashi attempted to get his Pokémon back in the fight.

"Pikachu, snap out of it!" He yelled. "Froakie's coming at you!"

Even though it was still a bit shaken up by Froakie's Bubble attack, Pikachu managed to shake it off to notice the Water-Type's oncoming Pound attack. As a result, Pikachu quickly ran up and attempted to intercept the blow with its Quick Attack. Unfortunately, just when it seemed like the two Pokémon were about to collide, Pikachu suddenly dashed right past Froakie. The confused Mouse Pokémon then looked on as it was now surrounded by a large number of Froakie clones, an obvious effect of its Double Team attack.

By the time Pikachu got a grasp of the situation, Froakie pounced and proceeded to barrage the Electric Pokémon with a barrage of swift attacks. Although it tried it best to evade some of them, Pikachu was eventually overwhelmed and sent crashing towards the ground. It was at that moment that all of the Froakie clones vanished, leaving only the original.

As he looked on, Takashi watched as Pikachu was struggling to pick itself back up from off the ground. If things continued on like this, the outcome of the battle would be obvious. Even so, despite the situation that he found himself in, Takashi wasn't about to give up. When Froakie saw the determination that was in the Trainer's eyes, a small smile appeared on the Pokémon's face. It then dashed back over towards its opponent, preparing to continue on with the battle.

By the time Pikachu managed to pick itself back up, it saw that Froakie was right on top of it, ready to strike with another Pound attack. Jumping back a bit, Pikachu managed to successfully avoid the strike, but Froakie quickly followed up by using its Double Team to create another barrage of clones. Now surrounded again, Pikachu struggled to find the real Froakie while the army of Water Pokémon prepared to fire large barrage of their Bubble attack. However, it was at the precise moment that Froakie launched its attack that Takashi made his move.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock…and fire it everywhere!"

With the attack only a hair away from making contact with it, Pikachu gathered all the power that it could muster and released it in one incredible blast. The electricity spread throughout the entire area, destroying not only the oncoming bubbles, but also the Froakie clones as well. This left only the original remaining and only it tried its best to avoid the attack, it was ultimately struck down by Pikachu's electricity.

Once he saw Froakie fall towards the ground, Takashi let out a small sigh of relief before looking over at Pikachu and giving his partner a thumbs up. Pikachu, although happy by its accomplishment, quickly focused itself as it saw that Froakie was beginning to pick itself back up. The Mouse Pokémon needed to launch one more big attack if it wanted to win this battle. Because of that, Pikachu looked towards Takashi, who nodded his head in response.

"Alright Pikachu…let's finish this with Electro Ball!"

After hearing the command, Pikachu got on all fours and began building up all the power that it could muster into its tail. By the time Froakie finally got back up, the Bubble Frog watched as a large up of electricity was beginning to form just above its opponent's tail. Knowing what kind of damage the attack could do, Froakie used all the strength it had left to fire the large barrage of bubbles that it could muster at Pikachu. However, it was at that precise moment that Pikachu finally launched its own attack.

At first, when the two attacks collided, they seemed to be evenly matched in power. However, Pikachu's Electro Ball slowly began to overpower Froakie's bubble barrage. Despite trying its best to keep the attack at bay, Froakie soon found itself on the receiving end of a massive blast of electricity that sent it flying. Upon hitting the ground, the Water-Type did its best to get back up, but was unfortunately too exhausted to do so.

Once it saw that Froakie could no longer battle, an exhausted Pikachu turned towards Takashi and called out to him. When heard his partner's call, Takashi nodded his head and proceeded to pull out an empty PokéBall and enlarge it. After doing so, the young man closed his eyes for a moment before taking aim and throwing the ball as hard as he could.

"PokéBall…Go!"

As Haru and the other Pokémon looked on, the PokéBall quickly made its way towards the fallen Froakie and went on to strike it right on the temple of its forehead. This act not only caused the ball to open up, but also convert Froakie it a mass of red light energy. The energy then went on to get sucked into the PokéBall before it closed up and landed on the ground. Everyone then watched as the PokéBall started wiggling as the button in the middle started to flicker on and off.

While waiting to see what will happen, Takashi started to recall all the events that he's been through since he first arrived in Viridian City. As he did so, the young Trainer focused on all the events that involved both, Pikachu, and Froakie. This recollection reinforced his desire to add this incredible Pokémon to his team and so the young Trainer silently prayed that his PokéBall would successfully capture Froakie. Eventually, after about another minute, everyone watched as the PokéBall stopped moving and suddenly let out several glittering stars.

At first, Takashi was a bit confused as he was unsure about what just happened. However, upon looking at Haru and seeing her look at him with a nod of approval, a large smile quickly appeared on his face. He then quickly made his way towards the PokéBall that contained Froakie and held it firmly in his hand. Tears then started to form around both of his eyes as Pikachu walked over and jumped onto his shoulder. The two of them then went on smile at one another before Takashi went to take the PokéBall and raise it high into the sky.

"Yes!" He exclaimed. "I caught a Froakie!"

* * *

"Alright then…Takashi Nakamura of Pallet Town, will you please hand me your PokéDex so that we may complete your registration?"

Shortly after he successfully captured his very first Pokémon in Froakie, Takashi proceeded to make his way over to the Pokémon Center so that both it and Pikachu could recover from their injuries. Shortly after they were taken away to be treated, Takashi then went out of his way to ask Nurse Joy for help in registering for the Pokémon League Competition, which the kind nurse happily agreed to do.

Once Nurse Joy took hold of Takashi's PokéDex, she proceeded to insert the device into a laptop on her front desk and then started typing. As she was doing so, Takashi watched the computer screen fill up with all sorts of information that he didn't quite understand. After about a minute, the computer the displayed a picture of his face before its automated voice then started talking.

" _Takashi Nakamura from Pallet Town has successfully been registered to compete in the Kanto Region's Pokémon League. Number of Badges currently in possession – 0. We wish you the best of luck!"_

Once the computer finished talking, Nurse Joy then went on to remove Takashi's PokéDex from her computer and hand it back over to him. She also proceeded to grab two items, a small book and case, and hand them over to the young Trainer as well.

"Well, you're now officially registered," She said to him with a smile. "Please take this handbook, which contains all the information you'll need about trying to enter and eventually compete in the Pokémon League. As for the case, you can use it to hold all the various Gym Badges that you'll collect throughout your Journey."

"Right…" Takashi said with a nod. "Thank you for the help, Nurse Joy."

After taking the items that Nurse Joy presented to him, Takashi proceeded to look at both of them very intently. These items, specifically the Badge Case, symbolized one of the goals that he needed to accomplish if he wished to become a Pokémon Master and Takashi had every intention of doing just that. With that in mind, Takashi went on to place the Badge Case into his pocket and the handbook in his backpack before going on to shake Nurse Joy's hand.

Shortly after that a bell could be heard throughout the entire Pokémon Center and, upon turning his head, Takashi happily looked on as Nurse Joy's Chansey walked out, pushing Pikachu and a PokéBall on a gurney. Once they reached him, Pikachu happily jumped off the gurney, allowing Takashi to catch and happily his partner. The two then embraced for a few moments before Pikachu went to place itself on its Trainer's shoulder. After that, Takashi then went to nod his head towards Chansey.

"Thanks again for help Pikachu, Chansey. I truly appreciate."

The Egg Pokémon happily nodded its head towards Takashi in response to his kind words. It then went on to grab the PokéBall that was on its gurney and handed it towards the young Trainer before leaving to tend to some more injured Pokémon. Once they were alone, Takashi and Pikachu took a moment to stare at the PokéBall, knowing that contained within it was their brand new friend, Froakie.

Even though it's been a few hours since he first captured Froakie, Takashi was still trying to come to grips that he successfully captured his first Pokémon. It was almost too hard to believe, but it's true. Froakie was now a part of his team and, together with Pikachu, Takashi believed that he's truly taken the first step in becoming a Pokémon Trainer. This caused the smile that was on his face to grow a bit bigger as a few tears started to form.

After wiping those tears from his eyes, Takashi went on to thank Nurse Joy again before both he and Pikachu left the Pokémon Center. Once they were outside, Takashi went out to open the PokéBall that contained his newest partner and watched a flash of light energy erupted from it. Upon hitting the ground, the energy quickly transformed into Froakie, who now rested and fully recovered. Takashi then knelt down towards the Water-Type, looking at it right in its eyes.

"Froakie…" He started off. "Before we leave, I want to make you a promise. Although I haven't been a Trainer for very long, and I know I'm going to make a lot of mistakes along the way, I swear to you that I'll never do you wrong. I'll work as hard as I can so that both you and Pikachu can become the strongest Pokémon that you two can possibly be. So…if you're with me, put it there."

Taking his hand, Takashi extended it out in front of Froakie and waited to see how the Bubble Frog Pokémon would respond. As he waited, Pikachu went out of its way to jump off of his shoulder and gently place one of its hands on top of his. Upon seeing that, Takashi gently smiled at the Electric-Type before looking back over at Froakie. Eventually, after about a minute of waiting, Froakie let out a small smile of its own before proceeded to place its hand on top of both Pikachu's and Takashi's.

With that gesture, a strong bond was formed between all three parties as each of them were ready to embark on an incredible Journey together. Shortly after they all raised their arms high into the air in pride, both Pikachu and Froakie went on to hop on both of Takashi's shoulders before the young man got up and proceeded to make his way out of Viridian City. As they walked, the three of them reflected on their time here and promised to return sometime in the near future. Soon though, after about an hour of walking, the group finally reached the city exit and it was here that they encountered Haru again.

After stopping to greet her, Takashi watched as Haru smiled at him and his Pokémon before slowly walking over towards Froakie. The old woman then went out of her way to gently pet the top of Froakie's head, silently expressing both happiness and sadness that has come for them to part. In response, Froakie gently rubbed its head against Haru's hand, its way of thanking the old woman for everything she's done for it since they met. Once Haru finished, the old woman then went on to looked back towards Takashi.

"Well Takashi…" She started off. "It's time. I wish you the best of luck throughout the rest of your Journey."

"Thank you," Takashi replied. "I'll do my best…and you have word that I'll take great care of Froakie."

"I know you will."

With a slight nod, Haru let out another small smile before gently stepping aside. With the path towards his next destination now open for him, Takashi proceeded to take a deep breath before confidently walking with both of his Pokémon by his side. As she watched them leave, a small part of Haru wondered if Froakie will be alright. However, those worries were quickly put to rest as she knows that her little friend will be just fine with Takashi and Pikachu by its side. With that, Haru let out a silent nod before making her way back to her shop.

"Good luck Froakie. I'll be rooting for you."

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _With his adventure in Viridian City over, the next stage of Takashi's Journey now bring him to the Viridian Forest. While there, he's challenged to a Pokémon Battle and is eager to get his first victory with Froakie by his side. However, while Froakie has joined his team, Takashi and the Water-Type are not entirely in sync as battling partners. Can the two of them get on the same page or did they make a mistake in joining forces?_

 _Next Time, Chapter 7: Under the Twinkling Stars_


	7. Chapter 7

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 7:** _Under the Twinkling Stars_

 _ **Takashi's Pokémon**_

 _Pikachu (Male)_

 _Froakie (Female)_

* * *

"So this is the Viridian Forest…Funny, it's not as special as I thought it would be."

Following their adventure in Viridian, during which he captured his very first Pokémon in Froakie, Takashi and Pikachu continued on with their Pokémon Journey by beginning to make their way to their destination; Pewter City. Once there, Takashi would have the opportunity to win his first Pokémon League Badge by being victorious at the Pewter City Gym. However, before they could get there, the two of them first needed to trek through the large Viridian Forest. However, after spending just a few hours here, Takashi wasn't as impressed with the forest as he thought he would be.

From what he could tell, the Viridian Forest seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary forest. Even though it was pretty big, Takashi didn't really consider that to be very unique as he heard that there were much bigger places in the world. As for the Pokémon that lived here, the only ones that he happened to find so far were a few Bug-Types. Although Takashi found Bug-Types to be very cool, the constant sight of them was becoming quite repetitive. As a result of that, as well as several smaller reasons, that the young Trainer's impressions of the forest was very mixed at best.

Even so, despite of how he felt about his new surroundings, Takashi continued making his way through the forest. As he did so though, the young man was busy staring at the PokéBall that contained his brand new friend, Froakie. It was almost too hard believe that he managed to capture his very first wild Pokémon, one that's extremely rare to obtain in the Kanto Region no less. Just knowing that made Takashi extremely happy, so much so that the smile that was on his face was gradually becoming bigger with each step he took.

"This is incredible…" He said as he continued to walk. "I actually caught my very first Wild Pokémon. I can't believe it…"

As Takashi continued to smile gleefully to himself, Pikachu was simply spending his time resting on his Trainer's shoulder. Even though he was just as happy as Takashi was about Froakie's capture, the Mouse Pokémon also needed to be alert to his surroundings. The reason being is that Pikachu knows the ins and outs when it comes to living within a forest, having done so for the vast majority of his life. Because of that, Pikachu kept himself ready just in case something occurred that would require him to act. Eventually, that moment came when Pikachu picked something up thanks to his sensitive hearing.

At first, the sound that Pikachu was rather faint, so much so that the Electric-Type thought it was just a random Bug Pokémon. However, as the sound became progressively louder, Pikachu quickly realized that it was something else. This concerned Pikachu, prompting the Electric Pokémon to stand on Takashi's shoulder and get his attention by banging on the side of his head with his paws.

"Ow…Pikachu, that's hurts!" Takashi said as he turned his head to face his friend. "What's going on?"

Once he got his attention, Pikachu pointed to where he heard the sound, prompting Takashi to do the same. At first, the young man couldn't hear anything and started to wonder what Pikachu was trying to tell him. However, once his hears finally picked up on the noise, Takashi instantly got the message and began to brace himself. After about a few seconds, the thing that was approaching Takashi and Pikachu finally emerged and the two of them saw that it was a young man.

As he looked on at him, Takashi noticed that this young man seemed to be roughly around his age. He had spiky brown hair and with eyes and was wearing an orange and t-shirt with blue jeans. Upon seeing that he wasn't a threat, Takashi calmed himself down and started to wonder who this young individual was. However, before he could ask that question, the young man responded with a question of his own.

"Excuse me!" He said in an excited tone of voice. "But are you a Pokémon Trainer?"

"Um…Yeah," Takashi slowly answered. "Why do you ask?"

"That's great…Then I hereby challenge you to a Pokémon Battle!"

Upon hearing the young man's request, Takashi was a bit taken back by what he just said to him. Without even introducing himself, this guy just appeared from out of nowhere and immediately challenged him to a battle. Although he wasn't against the idea himself, as he felt it would be a good opportunity for some much needed training, a part of Takashi wanted to know why this young man wanted to challenge him so suddenly.

"…May I ask why?"

"Why?" The young man said, somewhat stunned by Takashi's question. "Haven't you heard of the Trainers Credo? If two Trainers eyes happen to meet then the rule is…they have a battle! Or at least…that's what I heard anyway."

After hearing this, Takashi looked over at Pikachu for a moment, who responded by looking directly at him. Having never heard of this Credo before, the two of them were a bit stunned by it. Despite that though, Pikachu smiled at Takashi as he was eager to participate in another Pokémon Battle. Upon seeing that smile, Takashi let out a smile of his own. The two of them then turned their attention back towards the young man.

"Alright then…you're on!" He said. "By the way, my name is Takashi Nakamura and I'm from Pallet Town. And the little guy on my shoulder is my good friend, Pikachu."

"Nice to meet you," The young man replied with a smile. "My name is Taichi and I'm from Viridian City!"

After getting the introductions out of the way, Takashi and Taichi started making their way towards another section of the Viridian Forest that had a lot more open space. As they walked, Takashi started to wonder how he should take this upcoming battle. Against other Trainers, he currently has a 1-and-1 record as he lost against Sasuke but won against Bruce. However, as he doesn't consider Bruce to be a true Pokémon Trainer, Takashi personally doesn't believe he has a legitimate victory yet. Because of that, he was determined to give this battle against Taichi everything he got and he swore that he would win this time around.

Eventually, after about a bit of walking, Takashi and Taichi finally found the open space that they were looking for and prepared themselves for their battle. As the former continued to go about his mental planning, Taichi went out of his way to grab a PokéBall that he had in his pocket. Once he enlarged it, the young man then proceeded to throw the PokéBall out towards the battlefield.

"Pinsir, I choose you!" He called.

As the PokéBall opened up and unleashed a giant blast of light energy, Takashi and Pikachu looked on in shock and amazement as they were confronted by a giant Bug-Type Pokémon. It had brown skin, small thick legs, long thin arms with sharp claws, and a large open mouth with its sharp teeth placed horizontally instead of vertically. However, the most imposing feature that was on this Pokémon was the two large, and spiky, pincers that were placed on the top of its head.

Having never seen a Pokémon like Pinsir before, Takashi was immediately awestruck at the sight of it. Not only that, but he could already tell just by looking at it that the Bug-Type Pokémon was really strong. However, as he simply couldn't judge a Pokémon based on how it looked, Takashi decided to get some more information with the help of his PokéDex, Dexter.

" _Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokémon,"_ Dexter said after Takashi pulled it out activated it. _"When its strong pincer gets a grip, Pinsir can lift an enemy much bigger than itself. The spikes that line its pincers dig into its opponent, making it hard for them to get away. Pinsir is a Bug-Type Pokémon."_

Once Dexter finished its explanation, Takashi put the PokéDex back into his pocket before looking back over towards Taichi and Pinsir. As he looked at them, Takashi saw that Taichi had a pretty confident look on his face. Given how strong his Pinsir seemed to be, Takashi quickly understood why his opponent seemed that way. Even so, the young Trainer from Pallet was about to back down and became determined to win this battle. This question though is…which of his Pokémon he should use to battle against Pinsir?

At first, Takashi considered using Pikachu as the Mouse Pokémon had already jumped off from his shoulder and prepared himself for battle. However, before he did so, Takashi stopped himself from choosing Pikachu after looking at his left hand and seeing that he was still holding Froakie's PokéBall. As he stared at it, Takashi suddenly came to a realization and figured that now was a pretty good opportunity to see how he and his newest Pokémon did in a battle together. With that in mind, Takashi knelt down towards Pikachu and gently started petting his head.

"Sorry buddy…" He said. "But I want to see how Froakie does. You'll get to battle next time, I promise."

Upon hearing Takashi say that to him, Pikachu became a bit depressed as he really wanted to battle against Pinsir. However, the Mouse Pokémon respected his Trainer's decision and promptly nodded his head at him. After that, Pikachu then took a few steps back so that he wouldn't be in the way of the battle.

Once Pikachu was back by his side, Takashi got back to his feet and looked down towards Froakie's PokéBall again. The young man then let out a small sigh before proceeding to throw the ball out onto the battlefield and watching as a blast of light energy burst from it.

"Froakie, I choose you!"

As the light energy that shot from inside of the PokéBall, Takashi and Taichi watched as Froakie materialized onto the battlefield. After quickly adjusting to her surroundings, Froakie looked up and saw that she was immediately being confronted by Taichi's Pinsir. Just seeing the Stag Beetle Pokémon instantly prompted Froakie to brace herself for battle before turning around slightly and looking at her new Trainer.

"Listen Froakie…" Takashi said to her. "We're about to have our very first battle together. So let's do our best and win this!"

As Takashi smiled at Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon simply stared at her Trainer with a silent expression on her face. She then focused her attention back towards Pinsir and saw that it was eager to get this battle started. This caused Froakie to brace herself even more as she knew right away that this was going to be an extremely difficult battle. Eventually, once both Trainers were ready the battle between the both of them immediately got underway.

Pinsir started things off by instantly charging towards Froakie. Despite its bulky appearance, the Stag Beetle Pokémon was pretty quick on its feet. Even so, Takashi didn't seem to mind as he's seen firsthand that his Froakie was much faster. Because of that, he decided to make the first move before Pinsir had the chance to connect with its own attack.

"Froakie, use Bubble on Pinsir!" He commanded.

After giving his command, Takashi gently closed his eyes for a moment as he pictured his plan within his mind. When Froakie's bubbles strike Pinsir, not only would they deal quite a bit of damage to the Stag Beetle Pokémon, but they would also slowly it down considerably as well. Once its speed was diminished, Takashi would then have Froakie barrage Pinsir with a flurry of her Pound attacks. The plan seemed perfect and as he opened his eyes, Takashi assumed that things would be going the way he envisioned. Unfortunately, much to his surprise, that wasn't the case at all.

Instead of doing what Takashi told her to do, Froakie was simply standing her ground as Pinsir continued charging. This shocked Takashi somewhat, causing him to wonder whether or not his Pokémon happened to hear him. As a result, he decided to give the command again.

"Froakie…did you hear me? I want you to use Bubble."

Again, without even moving an inch, Froakie seemingly ignored Takashi and continued to focus all of her attention of Pinsir. The sight of this concerned Takashi somewhat, causing him to wonder if there was something wrong with Froakie. However, before he could see if that was the case or not, Taichi saw that Pinsir had finally gotten close enough to Froakie and immediately made his first move of the battle.

"Pinsir, use Brick Break!" He said.

Upon hearing Taichi's command, Pinsir immediately complied with his wishes and prepared to strike Froakie with one of its arms. However, just before the attack could connect, Froakie used her incredible jumping ability to easily jump out of the way. When Takashi saw that, the young man let out a huge sigh and quickly adjusted his plan in order to make up for this development.

"Good job Froakie!" He said to his Pokémon. "Now use Bubble while you're in the air!"

Froakie glanced over at Takashi for a moment as she was beginning to make her way back towards the ground. However, instead of launching her Bubble attack like she was instructed to do, the Water-Type Pokémon instead landed on the ground and prepared to strike Pinsir from behind with her Pound attack. This again surprised Takashi, causing to him worry if there was something wrong with Froakie's hearing.

Meanwhile, as this was going on, Taichi was taking notice of what was going on between Takashi and his Froakie. It was clear to him that the two of them were not on the same page, which also caused Taichi to wonder if there something going on between them. Even so, Taichi decided to take advantage of Takashi and Froakie's lack of unity by showing them what real teamwork looks like.

"Pinsir…use Harden!"

Without even needing to turn around to check with its Taichi, Pinsir instantly obeyed his order and began tensing up its muscles. Once it did, a light glow began to envelop the Stag Beetle Pokémon for a moment, causing its entire body to harden up. As soon as it finished, Froakie came up from behind and struck Pinsir with her Pound attack. However, instead dealing any damage to its opponent, Froakie was the one who got hurt as she felt like she just struck her hand against a brick wall. She then fell to ground, holding her hand in agony as Pinsir turned around and confronted her.

"Great work, Pinsir!" Taichi said with a proud look on his face. "Now use Vice Grip!"

Again, without any hesitation, Pinsir obeyed Taichi's order and began to slowly lower its head towards Froakie. As it did, the pincers that were on top of its head began moving around, banging against each other. When Takashi and Froakie both took notice of this, the two of them knew right away that they had to get out of this situation. Unfortunately, the two of them had different ideas on how to do it.

"Froakie, use Double Team to escape!" Takashi said.

With Pinsir only a hair away from grabbing it with its pincers, Froakie responded by firing her Bubble attack right in her opponent's face, once again disobeying Takashi's command. Even so, the Water-Type's plan worked as Pinsir backed away in order to get the water out of its eyes. It was during this moment in time that Froakie decided to get another attack in before Pinsir had a chance to recover. However, after seeing Taichi smirking to himself, Takashi realized that this was a setup.

"Froakie, you have to stop!"

"It's too late!" Taichi replied, as he raised his fist firmly in front of him. "Pinsir, use X-Scissor!"

As Froakie closed the distance between herself and Pinsir, the Bubble Frog Pokémon prepared to finally strike it with its Pound attack. However, just as she was about to do so, Froakie looked on in shock as Pinsir snickered at her, revealing that it was pretending to be blinded by her previous Bubble attack. Pinsir then proceeded to cross its arms together, causing a glowing x-shaped symbol to appear of it. The two Pokémon then went on to collide with their respective attacks, with Pinsir easily overpowering Froakie and sending her flying.

Upon seeing this, a concerned look instantly appeared on Takashi's face as he watched Froakie fly over the entire battlefield until her body was slammed into a nearby tree. Just seeing this prompted both the young Trainer and his Pikachu to rush over and check up on their friend. When they arrived, the two of them saw that Froakie was in a lot of pain after that last attack. Despite that though, they also saw that Froakie had no intention of giving up and prepared herself to get back in the battle.

"Wait a minute, Froakie!" Takashi said as he grabbed one of her hands. "Don't just rush in. We have to-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Takashi watched as Froakie released herself from his grip and began rushing towards Pinsir. However, due to the amount of damage that she sustained from that last attack, Froakie wasn't as fast she normally was. Because of that, both Taichi and Pinsir could easily read the Water Pokémon's movements and responded accordingly.

"Now Pinsir…Finish this off with Seismic Toss!"

Nodding its head, Pinsir charged in just as Froakie began firing another barrage of bubbles from her mouth. However, the Stag Beetle Pokémon managed to endure the assault and proceeded to grab a hold of Froakie before she had a chance to get away. Once she was in its grasp, Pinsir jumped into the air began swinging Froakie repeatedly before finally tossing it hard towards the ground.

When he saw this, Takashi instinctively jumped in and began to catch Froakie before it could reach the ground. However, the force in which Pinsir tossed Froakie was so great that it caused Takashi to fall and skid across the ground. This continued until Takashi found himself slamming into the same tree that Froakie slammed into a few moments ago. It was at that moment that Taichi decided to end things right here.

"That's enough Pinsir…" He said, disappointed with how this battle went. "It should be clear who won this."

When Pinsir heard this, the Bug-Type glanced over at Taichi for a moment before looking back at Takashi and Froakie, the latter of which was knocked out from that attack. After seeing that, Pinsir realized that its Trainer was right and thus it returned to his side. Taichi then went on to happily pet the stop of his Pokémon's head before proceeding to return it back to its PokéBall. Once he did that, the young man turned his attention towards Takashi and began walking towards him.

As for Takashi, the young man's eyes were slowly fixed on his injured Froakie as he began to pick himself up from off the ground. At this moment in time, he didn't care about the outcome of the battle. The only thing that was on his mind was two things; Froakie's condition and the reason why she wasn't obeying his commands. While he was thinking about those things, Takashi looked up and saw that Taichi was right in front of him.

"Well…that was disappointing. I was expecting more since you own a fairly rare Pokémon, but I guess that's what I get for getting my hopes up."

As Taichi expressed his frustrations over how the battle went, Takashi simply looked down at his Froakie with a sad expression on his face. When he lifted his head back up the young Trainer watched as his opponent was beginning to walk away. Upon seeing that, Takashi stood up, still closely holding Froakie in his arms, and asked something of Taichi.

"I'm…I'm sorry with how this battle went, but will you challenge me and Froakie and again sometime soon?"

Taichi stopped walking for a moment as he took the time to think about what Takashi just asked of him. After thinking for a few seconds, the young man started walking away again, but not before replying to Takashi's request.

"…Only when you learn to control that Froakie of yours."

Once he said that, Taichi continued walking away and Takashi watched him until he couldn't see him anymore. After he left, Takashi felt something tugging down on his pants leg and saw that it was Pikachu, who had a concerned look on his face. It was clear just from that expression that the Mouse Pokémon was just as concerned for Froakie's well being as Takashi was. This prompted him to nod at his Pokémon.

"I know Pikachu…Let's make camp."

* * *

A few hours later, as the sun was beginning to set over the Viridian Forest, Takashi and Pikachu were busy sitting a campfire that the former made about an hour ago. In front of them was Froakie, who was still recuperating following her defeat against Taichi and his Pinsir. As Takashi was taking the time to carefully bandage his Pokémon's wounds, his mind was fixated on the battle against Taichi and why Froakie acted the way she did.

During the battle, Froakie simply fought the way she wanted too, refusing to listen to any of Takashi's commands. When he saw this, Takashi wondered why Froakie was doing this as, while watching her battle, he could tell that she wasn't disobeying him out of a sense of resentment. Not only that, but after remembering his battles against Bruce and Primeape, Takashi knew that both he and Froakie are capable of working together. Because of that, he wondered why this was happening now, especially since Froakie was now officially his Pokémon.

As he continued to think about this, Pikachu saw that Froakie was beginning to stir and promptly alerted this to Takashi. When he saw this, and noticed that Froakie was beginning to wake up, the young man was extremely relieved to see that she was alright. He went then went on to pour some fresh water that he had on him into a cup before giving it to Froakie. After pausing for a moment, Froakie to the cup and slowly began to consume the water while both her Trainer and Pikachu looked on. Once Froakie finished drinking she slowly placed the cup down before looking at Takashi. The two of them stared at one another for about a minute before Takashi finally spoke up and said something.

"Froakie…What's going on with you?" He asked. "Why didn't you listen to me during our battle?"

As he closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head for a moment, Takashi again pondered the reason behind Froakie's disobedience. He didn't want to believe it was because Froakie simply didn't like him, but he couldn't be too sure. After all, even though the two of them may have worked together recently, the little Water-Type Pokémon could still carry the scars from her time with her previous Trainer, which could very well explain her actions.

"Listen Froakie…" Takashi continued as he slowly reopened his eyes. "I want you to know that I…Huh?"

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Takashi noticed that Froakie was nowhere to be seen. After overcoming the initial shock of this turn of events, the young man quickly stood up and began searching the immediate area for his Pokémon.

"Froakie! Froakie, where are you!"

Searching all across the campsite, Takashi attempted to find any sign for his missing Pokémon. Although he was very concerned about where Froakie might be, Takashi was even more concerned about her well being. In her condition, Froakie should be resting and Takashi was afraid that any needless movement could worsen her condition even more. Because of that, Takashi searched through the entire campsite in order to find his friend. Eventually though, after it became clear that Froakie was not here, Takashi decided to expand his search and thus turned his attention towards Pikachu.

"Listen Pikachu, I want you to stay here. I promise that I'll be back once I find Froakie."

Nodding his head in compliance, Pikachu nodded his head towards Takashi and watched him leave the campsite in order to find Froakie. Although he was just as concerned for Froakie as Takashi was and wanted to help with the search, Pikachu decided to put his trust in his Trainer. Also, Pikachu was aware that another reason why Takashi wanted him to stay behind was so that he could guard over the campsite. Because of that, Pikachu sat by the campfire and waited patiently for both Takashi and Froakie to return.

Meanwhile, as this was going on, Froakie was busy sitting on top of the many tree branches present in the Viridian Forest. As she sat by herself, the Water-Type was busy reflecting on the battle against Taichi and his Pinsir and how poorly it went for her. Not only that, but she was also thinking about how she disobeyed Takashi, doing what she wanted to do instead of what he wanted her to do. While thinking about that, Froakie knew right away that she didn't disobey Takashi because she didn't like him, that wasn't the case at all. In reality, the only reason why she acted the way she did was to prove something to herself.

When Takashi successfully captured Froakie and became one of his Pokémon, the Bubble Frog made a promise to herself that she would do everything within her power to help him achieve his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. Because of that, she swore to do everything within her power to become stronger and win any battle that she fought in. This was the least that she could do as if it wasn't for Takashi, Froakie knew that she wouldn't be alive right now. She owed him a great debt and she had every intention of repaying it.

So, when Froakie went up against Pinsir, the Bubble Frog Pokémon could tell right away that it wasn't an opponent that Takashi could defeat at his current level of experience. As a result, she decided to fight the battle her own way instead of how Takashi wanted. She wanted to believe that doing so would be the best for both of them, but unfortunately that wasn't the case and Pinsir was easily able to defeat Froakie.

This recent defeat troubled Froakie a great deal, not only because she let herself down, but because she believed that she let her Takashi down as well. Her previous Trainer abandoned her because her weakness and it took her a long time to open her heart up enough to allow herself to be under the ownership of another Trainer. Even though she wants to believe that Takashi won't abandon her over what happened, the fact that she disobeyed him, even though it wasn't because she hated him, was quite disrespectful on her part. Because of that, Froakie left the campsite to quietly ponder over her actions and what she could do to make things right.

While continuing to think to herself, Froakie heard something coming from below and promptly looked down in order to see what it was. To her surprise, she saw that it was Takashi, who was combing the entire area for her.

"Froakie, where are you?!" He cried. "Froakie…please come out!"

As Takashi continued searching for her, Froakie continued looking down at him from on top of the tree branch. A large part of her wanted to jump down and show him that she was okay, but she was also somewhat scared to do so at the same time. After what happened, she wouldn't be too surprised if he was mad at her for losing the battle the way she did. She was also afraid that Takashi might even abandon her, just like her former Trainer did. It's due to those feelings that Froakie sadly stayed put and simply kept on watching as Takashi continued his search for her.

Soon though, as this was going on, Froakie noticed something else approach Takashi as he kept on walking through the forest. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the thing she was seeing was a wild Beedrill. Takashi unintentionally entered its territory while he was searching for Froakie, angering the Poison Bee Pokémon as a result. When she saw that and noticed that Takashi was unaware that Beedrill was right behind him, Froakie quickly jumped down from the branch she was sitting on and quickly got in between the two of them.

Upon hearing jump down from behind him, Takashi quickly turned around and was happy to see that it was Froakie. However, his happiness soon turned into surprise and fear when he saw the Beedrill that was about to attack him. Before the Poison Bee Pokémon could do anything to him though, Froakie quickly fired off a large barrage of bubbles from her mouth. This barrage was enough to cause Beedrill to back away a little bit, creating some distance between them.

Once Froakie finished firing her attack, the Bubble Frog Pokémon looked over towards Takashi and was pleased to see that he was okay. She then turned her attention back towards the wild Beedrill and saw that it shook off her Bubble attack and was about to counterattack with its twin stingers. When she saw that, Froakie got ready to fire another barrage of bubble at it, but Takashi quickly grabbed a hold of her and started running in the opposite direction. This prompted the Beedrill to give chase after both of them, causing Froakie to squirm and try and break free from Takashi's grip.

"No Froakie…" Takashi said as he continued to run. "You're too injured to fight. I'll take care of this!"

As he continued to run, Takashi looked down at Froakie for a moment and saw that she was still squirming around in his arm. He knew that she wanted to fight, but he also knew that in her condition it would be extremely difficult for her to win. Not only that, given how she acted during the battle against Taichi, Takashi couldn't be sure if Froakie would act up again. Knowing full well what Beedrills are capable of, Takashi decided that the first thing he needed to do was get Froakie someplace safe before dealing with it himself.

Soon though, as he continued to run, Takashi ended up tripping on a tree branch, causing him to fall to his side and drop Froakie. Fortunately, Froakie wasn't injured and managed to recover from the fall rather quickly. However, the same couldn't be said for Takashi, who ended up injuring his knee a bit. Upon seeing that he was hurt trying to protect her, Froakie became extremely upset and braced herself as Beedrill appeared before her again and attempted to attack again.

Just as Beedrill pointed its twin stingers and unleashed a massive barrage of poison needles at Froakie, the brave Water-Type attempted to counter with her Bubble attack. However, the needles easily popped most of the bubbles and continued on their way towards Froakie. Froakie, before the attack could reach, Takashi grabbed Froakie and managed to get them both out of the way of the attack.

Upon seeing him trying to protect her again, Froakie started yelling at Takashi. Although she understood his good intentions, the fact remained that Takashi was no match for Beedrill and only she could defeat it. Even so, Takashi wasn't about to let Froakie battle…at least not all alone.

"Listen Froakie…" He said as he looked down towards her. "I know this is still new for us, but we're a team now."

While continuing to look down at Froakie, Takashi slowly began to piece together the reason why the Bubble Frog Pokémon was being so disobedient earlier. He also recalled Froakie's past and how, even though she was now under his ownership, those tough experiences still plague her thoughts. However, things were different now and it was time for both Takashi and Froakie to realize that.

"Froakie…I'm still new at being a Pokémon Trainer and I'm going to make a lot of mistakes. However, it's precisely why I'm new at this that I'm going to need your help. With you and Pikachu by my side I know we can accomplish anything that comes our way…just like how we handle Bruce and that Primeape."

After hearing him say that and seeing him smile at her, Froakie's eyes widen slightly as she suddenly realized how foolish she's been being. He was right, she and Takashi were a team now and just because she has more battle experience than her doesn't mean that she has to do all the work. If she truly want to help him become a Pokémon Master, Froakie knew that she had let go of the bad experiences she had in past and truly let Takashi be her Trainer. Only by doing that could the two of them possibly reach their true potential, both as individuals and as a team.

Upon reaching that realization, Froakie nodded her head towards Takashi, prompting him to go on and do the same. The two of them then looked on and watched as the wild Beedrill was getting ready to fly down and attack again. However, this time the two of them were ready and they weren't about to run away this time around.

"Alright Froakie…run towards Beedrill!"

Nodding her head in compliance, Froakie dashed towards Beedrill as quickly as she could, just as the Poison Bee Pokémon was prepared to strike with its stingers. However, just as the two of them were about to clash, Takashi made his next move.

"Now, jump up and fire your frubbles!"

Using her incredible leg strength, Froakie narrowly avoid Beedrill's attack and proceeded to grab two sets of frubbles from her back. She then unleashed them just as Beedrill was about to fly up and continue on with its assault. The frubbles went on to place themselves on both of its main stingers and although it didn't damage it the sight of this did confuse the Bug-Type Pokémon for a moment. And…it was precisely this moment that Takashi had been waiting for.

"Okay, now use your Bubble attack!" He commanded.

Without wasting any time, Froakie unleashed the largest barrage of bubbles that it could possibly muster and directed all at Beedrill. With its stingers still covered in the frubbles, the Poison Bee Pokémon had no means to block this assault and was thus completely overwhelmed by Froakie's attack. The full force of this barrage was so much that Beedrill immediately decided to cut its losses and fled the area as quickly as it could. Once it was gone and nowhere to be seen that Takashi let out a small sigh of relief, prompting him to sit on the ground.

"…It's gone. Thank goodness."

As Takashi continued sitting down on the ground, Froakie looked at him with a quiet expression on her face. When he eventually looked back at her, Takashi simply let out a small smile as he gently petted the top of the Water Pokémon's head. He then picked up Froakie and held her in his arms.

"Great job Froakie. You kicked some serious butt in that battle."

Froakie's eyes widen slightly, taken back at how proud Takashi was with her, despite the disobedience she was displaying not that long ago. She then watched as Takashi let out a goofy smile that had him reveal all of his teeth. However, just seeing that smile put Froakie's mind at ease, so much so that Froakie dropped her guard and let out a goofy smile of her own. When Takashi saw that all he could do was smile even harder, which prompted Froakie to go on and do the same. Finally, although it took them a little bit, Takashi and Froakie were now on the same page.

Eventually, after resting for a few more minutes, Takashi and Froakie picked themselves up from off the ground and started making their way back to Pikachu. When they finally arrived at the campsite, both of them were pleased to see that the Mouse Pokémon was still waiting patiently for them and was glad that they were okay. Now that the three of them were together, Takashi and his Pokémon sat next to the campfire as they happily ate their dinner and enjoyed each other's company.

Later, as day turned into night and all the stars were out, Takashi lying down in a sleeping bag that he had on him, preparing to go to sleep. As he did so, both Pikachu and Froakie were both sitting down on a stump that was right next to their Trainer. While looking at all the stars, Takashi smiled at how beautiful they all were and proceeded to reach out his hand in order to grab them. However, no matter how hard he tried, the stars were simply out of his reach. Despite that though, Takashi wasn't really upset and simply smiled some more, confusing Pikachu and Froakie somewhat.

"You know…these stars in the sky represent my dream."

Still confused, Pikachu and Froakie had a hard time trying to figure out what Takashi meant by that. How could the stars represent his dream? This prompted them look up at the stars as well, hoping that doing so would allow them to understand his meaning. However, neither one of them could figure it out. This prompted Takashi to explaining his reasoning to his two Pokémon.

"When I was a little boy, my father used to tell me something," He continued. "He said that something is only worth obtaining if it's out of your reach. At first, I didn't understand what he meant, but now I think I do. My dream is to become the greatest Pokémon Master who has ever lived, a goal that nearly impossible to achieve. Trying to become that is like trying to touch the stars while lying on the ground…just what I was trying to do just now. But it's because that dream is nearly impossible…that makes the goal of trying to achieve it worth it."

Digging into his sleeping bag, Takashi grabbed the headband that his father gave to him just before he left on his final Pokémon Journey. As he looked at the star symbol that was on its metal plate, another smile appeared on his face. He then titled his head and stared at both Pikachu and Froakie, both of whom were now looking down at him again.

"Pikachu…Froakie…I want to become a Pokémon Master. It's been my dream since before I even knew how to walk. However, it's not something I can do on my own. I'm going to need both of your help in order to reach it. So, while under this twinkling stars, let's make a promise to each other. I'll help the both of your to become the strongest Pokémon who has ever lived…and in return, you'll help me to become the greatest Pokémon Master who has ever lived. That way, we all work together to achieve our dreams. What do you say?"

Taking out his hand again, Takashi reached out and placed it face down, in front of both Pikachu and Froakie. He then looked at the two of them with a determined look on his face. Seeing that look allowed the two Pokémon to realize just how serious Takashi was about this. The look also caused them to recall the times Takashi helped them out with their respective problems. Wanting to repay that debt to him, as both his Trainer and his friend, Pikachu and Froakie nodded their heads and proceeded to place their hands on top of Takashi's.

Upon making this promise to each other, Takashi and his Pokémon all let out a big smile as they raised their arms in the air in victory. Shortly after that, Takashi decided to head on to bed so that he could wake up early the next morning. Pikachu followed shortly after him, resting himself on top of Takashi's sleeping bag. As she watched them sleep, Froakie took a moment to stare at Takashi. While doing so, one final smile slowly appeared on her, happy in the fact that managed to find a young man like him. She then proceeded to go to sleep too, resting comfortably right next to Takashi.

* * *

The next morning, as the sun was beginning to rise just above the thick trees, Takashi was continuing his trek through the Viridian Forest, with both Pikachu and Froakie resting on each of his shoulders. As he walked, Takashi thinking about how he should best prepare with his upcoming challenge at the Pewter City Gym. He had no idea what kind of battle it would be or what kind of Pokémon he would be facing. Because of that, the young Trainer was going over every possible way that could prepare both Pikachu and Froakie for the challenge that they would soon face.

Soon though, as Takashi continued walking through the forest, both Pikachu and Froakie picked something up thanks to their exceptionally hearing. They then turned both of their heads towards the right of them, prompting Takashi to stop walking when he saw the both them do that.

"Hey…What did you hear, guys?" Takashi questioned.

Pikachu and Froakie didn't answer, as they weren't quite sure themselves. All they did know is that they could hear two sets of footsteps and that one of them was much louder than the other. In time, Takashi could hear the footsteps too and prepared himself just in case. However, when the two set of footsteps finally got close enough, both Takashi and his Pokémon were surprised to see who it was coming from.

The footsteps were coming from Taichi and his Pinsir, the both of whom had just finished some earlier morning training. Just like him, Taichi was a bit surprised to see Takashi so soon after defeating him. Not only that, Taichi could also see that there was something different about Takashi. It wasn't much, but he could tell that he had come to an important realization and that realization had given him more determination. Taichi also saw that Froakie had the same look on her face, prompting him to ask a question.

"So…have you and your Froakie settle your issues?"

Upon being asked that question, Takashi and Froakie glanced at one another, with the latter firmly nodding her head at the former. This caused Takashi to smile before turning his attention back towards Taichi.

"Yeah…" He answered. "I think we have."

"…Good," Taichi replied. "Then…as I promised you yesterday, me and my Pinsir will face the two of you again."

Taichi's Pinsir stepped forward and began opening the closing the pincers that were on its head, showing that it was eager to battle. When Froakie saw that, Froakie instantly jumped down from Takashi's shoulder and prepared herself for battle as well. She then looked back towards Takashi for a moment, wanting to see if he was ready as well. To her joy, Takashi was indeed ready as he wanted to face Taichi and his Pinsir again, even though he didn't expect it to be so soon. Because of that, the two Trainers and their Pokémon made their way to an area with more open space so that they can have their battle.

Upon reaching that area, Takashi had Pikachu get off his shoulder and stand next to him. He then had a quick pep talk with Froakie before pulling out the headband that his father gave to him and wrapped it around his head. Once everything was said between them, the Bubble Frog Pokémon stepped forward and again prepared herself to confront Pinsir. After once again seeing the determined look that was on Froakie's face, Taichi decided to see how much both she and Takashi have changed by making the first move in this battle.

"Pinsir…use Vice Grip!"

Letting out a loud battle cry, Pinsir started charging towards Froakie at an incredible speed. As it closer and closer towards its target, Taichi looked on intently as Froakie sat patiently on the ground, her eyes focused solely on her foe. Soon, just when Pinsir was about to grab Froakie with its pincers, Takashi finally made his move.

"Froakie…use Double Team!"

At the very instant that Pinsir was about to close in on its target, Froakie immediately disappeared from view for a moment. When she reappeared, several afterimages of the Bubble Frog Pokémon suddenly materialized all across the battlefield. The sight of this surprised Pinsir greatly as it wasn't able tell which one of the Froakies was the real one, something that Takashi was hoping to be the case.

As this was going on, Taichi couldn't help but let out a small snicker. The fact that Froakie obeyed Takashi's command this time around was the proof that the two of them were truly on the same page now. Not only that, but it also showed Taichi that this battle will be much more interesting now than it was the other day. With that in mind, he decided to get more serious.

"Alright Pinsir, use Harden!"

Complying too its Trainer's request, Pinsir immediately stopped trying to figure out where the real Froakie was and proceeded to stiffen its body in order to prepare for its opponent's next attack. However, despite the fact that Pinsir has now risen its defensive power, Takashi wasn't about to back down.

"Don't let that stop you, Froakie!" He said. "Use a continuous Pound attack on Pinsir!"

Not wasting any time, all of the Froakie clones rushed over towards Pinsir at a blinding speed. Once they got close enough they then started circling around it in multiple directions, making it difficult to predict where it the attack would be coming from. Thanks to that, the real Froakie used that to her advantage and began to barrage Pinsir was several powerful strikes.

At first, due to the fact that it used Harden prior, Pinsir was able to endure the assault that Froakie was unleashing upon it. However, as the barrage of attacks continued, Taichi noticed that Pinsir was slowly becoming fatigued. Although he was tempted to use Harden again to strengthen Pinsir's defenses, he knew that wouldn't help him in the long run. In order to win this battle he needed to stop Froakie from moving.

With that in mind, Taichi focused all of his attention on the multiple Froakie clones that were surrounding Pinsir. Even though it was difficult to determine which one of them was the real one, Taichi knew that it wasn't impossible. All he needed to do was focus on the little details and take advantage of them. After some time, Taichi discovered that amongst all of the Froakies present, only one of them produced a shadow, indicating that it was the real one. Thanks to that, Taichi was able to tell that this Froakie was about to attack Pinsir from behind next, allowing him counter.

"Pinsir, turn around and use Brick Break!"

Upon hearing Taichi's command, Pinsir quickly turned itself around and confronted the Froakie that was about to hit him. It then struck the Bubble Frog Pokémon right in the middle of her head with its forearm, causing her to be sent crashing into the ground. This act also caused all one the Froakie clones to suddenly disappear as well as the real one wasn't able to maintain them anymore.

When Takashi saw this he was instantly concerned for Froakie's safety as her Double Team attack was the best defense she had against Pinsir's superior power. Now that Taichi had managed to deduce the flaw in the move, Takashi knew that using Double Team again wouldn't be helpful. To make matter worse, Pinsir was right on top of Froakie and proceeded to grab her with one of her arms, preventing the Water-Type from escaping.

"Well…I have to admit that this battle was indeed much better than the last one," Taichi said with a small smile. "However, this is the end. Pinsir…use Vice Grip!"

Nodding its head, Pinsir slowly started lifted Froakie higher and higher until she was at the same level as its horns. It then prepared itself to ensnare the Water-Type into them, intending the squeeze the life out of her until she couldn't take the pain anymore. Unwilling to let that happen, Takashi put the fate of the entire battle into one last act.

"Froakie!" He called out too. "Use Bubble before it's too late!"

Just as she was a hair away from being caught within Pinsir's horns, Froakie heard Takashi's voice and quickly regained her senses. Then, after seeing the situation that she was in, immediately fired off a large barrage of bubbles at her opponent. The sheer density of the water was so great that Pinsir had no choice but to release Froakie so that it could use both its arms to defend itself.

Upon seeing Pinsir stunned, Takashi knew that he needed to act quickly before it had a chance to recover. At the same time, Taichi knew what Takashi was planning to do and prepared to counter it.

"Froakie, use one last Pound!"

"Pinsir, counter it with Tackle!"

Both Pokémon instantly responded to their respective Trainer's command and immediately started charging one another. As they raced towards each other, Takashi looked on and waited until Froakie and Pinsir were about to make contact. When that moment finally came, the young Trainer put his final plan into motion.

"Froakie…Jump now!"

Letting out a small grin, Froakie used all the strength she had to jump right through Pinsir's horns, moving pass it in the process. Stunned by this action, Taichi wondered what Takashi was doing as Froakie was about to crash right into a nearby tree. However, before he had the chance to comprehend this act, he watched as Froakie suddenly flipped herself backwards and used the nearby tree to spring back towards Pinsir with even greater force. Once he saw this, Taichi's eyes widen in shock.

"Pinsir, look out!"

It was too late. By the time Pinsir managed to turn itself around, Froakie struck it with the strongest Pound attack it could muster. The Bubble Frog Pokémon then slid across the ground, unable to brace herself, and landed just by Pikachu's side. She then slowly picked herself up and watched as Pinsir slowly fell backwards onto the ground, completely unconscious.

At first, both Trainers were silent, attempting to comprehend the final moment of the battle. After some time however, Takashi saw that Pinsir wasn't moving, causing a large smile to appear on his face.

"We…we won," He said. "WE WON!"

Letting out a loud cry of victory, Takashi and Pikachu immediately rushed over towards Froakie, where the former held her tightly in his arms.

"You did it, Froakie! I just knew that you could it!"

As Takashi continued hugging his Pokémon, Froakie glanced over at him slightly before letting out a smile. Although she was the one who fought, Froakie knew that she couldn't have one if she didn't believe in Takashi like she did. This made her very happy as it once again showed her that she made the right choice in joining Takashi and becoming his Pokémon. Unfortunately, that happiness suddenly turned to dread as she suddenly found herself unable to breath due to Takashi's aggressive hugging.

While all of this was going on, Taichi slowly made his way over towards his fallen Pinsir and proceeded to help it back to its feet. No words were spoken between them, but it was clear that Taichi was extremely proud of his friend. Even though they didn't win this battle, both of them knew that they will ultimately become stronger from this experience. With that in mind, the two of them had no problems with losing as the battle team won this time around.

Eventually, after bringing out Pinsir's PokéBall and returning the Bug-Type to it, Taichi made his way over to Takashi, who was busy apologizing to Froakie after just realizing what he was doing to her. Once he arrived, the two Trainers stared at one another for a moment before Taichi slowly extended his hand towards Takashi. Upon seeing that, Takashi let out another smile before taking out his hand and going on to shake Taichi's.

"Thanks for the good battle," Taichi said. "I guess I really was wrong. You and your Froakie make a great team."

"…Thank you," Takashi replied with a slight nod. "But it only thanks to you and Pinsir that Froakie and I managed to win. If you two hadn't pushed us like you had then we might still be having problems."

Upon hearing Takashi praise him like that, despite the fact they were opponents not that long ago, surprised Taichi somewhat. However, this only impressed him as he could tell that there was something different about Takashi than from the other Trainers he faced. Although he couldn't tell what that was, Taichi had a feeling that Takashi Nakamura was going to be someone to look out for in the near future.

Soon, after talking to one another for a little bit, Takashi and Taichi decided to part ways in order to continue their respective Pokémon Journeys. Once he watched Taichi make his way towards another section of the Viridian Forest, Takashi and his Pokémon proceeded to make their way in the opposite direction.

As they did so, Takashi pulled out the headband that his father gave him and stared at it intently as he walked. Just looking at it reminded him of the promise he and his Pokémon made to each other the previous night and Takashi knew that the battle he just had was just the first step in fulfilling it. So, as he watched both Pikachu and Froakie sit upon his shoulders, a determined look appeared on Takashi's face he started running towards his next destination.

"Alright guys…Our next battle is waiting for us, so let's get going!"

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _As he continues to make his way through the Viridian Forest, Takashi happens to come across a Pokémon with a rather feisty personality. However, this Pokémon is also injured and it refuses to allow Takashi to help it. Just who is this Pokémon and what will Takashi have to do in order to help it._

 _Next Time, Chapter 8: The Brave Little Bird – Part 1_


	8. Chapter 8

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 8:** _The Brave Little Bird – Part 1_

 _ **Takashi's Pokémon**_

 _Pikachu (Male)_

 _Froakie (Female)_

* * *

"Alright…Come and get it guys!"

The Viridian Forest is famous within the Kanto Region for the large number of Bug-Type Pokémon that reside there. These Pokémon range from the tiniest Weedle to the largest Pinsir. Because of that it's extremely rare for any Trainer to encounter a wild Pokémon that isn't a Bug-Type while within the forest. However, within a hidden section of the Viridian Forest resides a safe haven for a small collection of Pokémon that are rarely seen here, but are fairly common everywhere else. These Pokémon were none other than the Flying-Type.

Being the natural enemies of Bug-Type Pokémon, it's not surprising that Flying-Type Pokémon would make their home within the Viridian Forest and for a long time that was indeed the case. These Flying Pokémon would constantly attack the defenseless Bug Pokémon and devour them in order to feed their own bellies. It was a case of survival of the fittest and for a while, things were all right. Unfortunately, as time passed by, the natural balance within the Viridian Forest began to change.

Although most Bug-Type Pokémon are considered to be a pest in the eyes of most people, they are actually quite vital, especially within places like the Viridian Forest. They keep the environment in balance by breaking down and disposing of dead waste, whether it be plants or Pokémon that have passed away. Without them around, all that waste would accumulate and it would be bad for everyone. So, in order to maintain the balance within the Viridian Forest, many high ranking individuals used various means to drive out a majority of the Flying-Type Pokémon that resided there. Although this was unfortunate for the Flying-Type Pokémon, it was a necessary evil in order to maintain the balance.

However, despite most of the Flying-Type Pokémon being successfully driven out of the Viridian Forest, a small group of them managed to stick around. Knowing that it would only be a matter of time before these Pokémon would be found, a small family decided to make it their mission to hide these Pokémon and keep them safe from harm. To that end, they secluded themselves within the darkest section of the Viridian Forest, a place where no one ever goes, and remained there ever since.

For over 30 years, the family that's been watching over the Flying-Type Pokémon has been able to them hidden as various Pokémon Trainers went about their respective Journeys. Currently, one member was busy walking around her home, feeding the various birds that made this place their home. This woman, who had flowing red hair and soft blue eyes, was named Ariel and she was only granddaughter of the one who originally created this safe haven.

"Eat up everyone," She said with a loving smile on her face. "Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

As she watched the collection of various Flying-Type Pokémon gather around her, Ariel gladly handed them each a fair share of Pokémon Food that she made especially for them. Having known these Pokémon ever since she was an infant, Ariel was extremely fond of them and was determined to keep them safe from harm until the time came for them leave and live out their own lives.

Eventually, after she finished feeding all the Pokémon present, Ariel checked up on each of them individually in order to make sure they were all healthy. As she did so however, the young woman suddenly noticed that one of them was missing. Although she thought she simply overlooked it, Ariel soon realized that this particular Pokémon was indeed gone. Fortunately for her, she knew just who this Pokémon was and where to look for it.

"Pidgey!"

Within the entire Pokémon World it's generally accepted that most common Flying-Type Pokémon are Pidgey. A primarily docile Pokémon who would rather flee than fight, Pidgey are typically found all across the world's various regions and are typically the first Pokémon that new Trainers capture in order to test themselves. Having a large collection of them herself, Ariel knew just how to handle them. Unfortunately, out all the Pidgey she had, there was one who simply wasn't like all the others and that was one Ariel was searching for right now.

Soon, after making her way into another section of the Viridian Forest, Ariel came across a wide open space where she finally managed to find Pidgey. She watched the Tiny Bird Pokémon fly all across the area with great speed, trying its best to go faster and faster with each move it made. While impressed by this display of talent that it was showing, Ariel knew that having Pidgey in an open area like this would be very bad. As a result, she decided to do something about it before things got too complicated.

To that end, Ariel pulled out a PokéBall that she had on her person and threw high into the high. Upon opening, the ball unleashed a small blast of light energy that quickly transformed into a small Flying-Type Pokémon with blue and red feathers and a white underbelly. This Pokémon was called a Taillow, a common Flying Pokémon that's typically found within the Hoenn Region.

"Taillow, get Pidgey down here now!"

Nodding its head in compliance, Taillow rushed over towards Pidgey with tremendous speed. However, upon spotting both it and Ariel, a small smirk suddenly appeared on Pidgey's face as it began racing against Taillow all around the forest. The two Pokémon were nearly evenly matched with one another, neither one giving even an inch. It was awesome display of flying prowess, but as things continued, Ariel decided to end things now before it was too late.

"Taillow, use Air Slash!" She commanded.

Stopping for a moment, Taillow raised both its wings up into the air as a spiraling light blue orb of energy started to form in between them. Taillow then threw the orb towards Pidgey, who saw the attack and tried its best to avoid it. Just as the attack was about to make contact, Pidgey suddenly took a nosedive, causing the orb to miss and hit a tree instead. Unfortunately, Pidgey's victory was short lived as one of the branches from that tree hit the little bird in the head, causing it to lose control and fall towards the ground.

Upon seeing this, Ariel waved her arms repeatedly, informing Taillow that it needed to catch Pidgey before it hit the ground. Getting the message, the Tiny Swallow Pokémon raced towards the fallen Pidgey and managed to catch it by using its own body. Taillow then landed right next to Aerial, who proceeded to pick up Pidgey and hold it in the palm of her hand.

"Great job Taillow," She said with a small smile. "Go on and take a rest."

Smiling in approval, Taillow nodded at Ariel one last time as she watched her pick up its PokéBall and call forth the red beam that converted it back into light energy. Once Taillow was returned to its ball, Ariel put it away and watched as the little bird was beginning to regain consciousness. As soon as it did however, Pidgey watched as Ariel was giving it a rather firm look, causing it to cringe a little.

"Pidgey, how many times have I told you not to go out by yourself?! You know you're not allowed to be out here!"

While watching Ariel chew her out about leaving their home, Pidgey tried its best to tune her out. It was the first time that the Tiny Bird Pokémon had left in order to practice its flying skills and it wouldn't be the last. Because of that, Pidgey decided to cut the lecture short for today and simply return back home.

As she watched it fly away, Ariel let out a small sigh as Pidgey's attitude was starting to become a problem for her to deal with. Although she liked that this particular Pidgey was a lot more confident was willing to defend itself in a fight, she didn't appreciate that it would go out its way to cause problems for her and their family. This caused her to wonder what she was going to do with Pidgey as she knew that this couldn't continue for much longer.

Soon, just Ariel and Pidgey were about to make it back home, both of them heard a loud cry coming from the direction in which they were headed. Then, before they had a chance to figure out what was going on, they watch as a few of the Flying Pokémon that Ariel has been looking after was flying past them. Each of them had a scared and frantic look on their face, indicating that something was very wrong. Because of that, both Pidgey and Ariel raced back to their home in order to find out what was going on.

By the time the two of them arrived at the scene, both Ariel and Pidgey looked on in shocked as a large Flying-Type Pokémon with brown feathers and a long pointed beak was busy attacking all of the other Flying Pokémon. This Pokémon was known other than a Fearow, the evolved form of the Tiny Bird Pokémon, Spearow. Upon seeing this powerful Pokémon cause so much trouble, Aerial wondered what was going on here and who was behind it.

However, before Ariel could ponder this situation any further, the young woman watched as Pidgey instantly flew up and headed straight for Fearow. When she saw the little Pokémon do that, Ariel's eyes widen from shock as she attempted to reach out to it.

"Wait Pidgey…!" She called out too. "Don't do it!"

Pidgey refused to listen to Ariel's pleas. The Tiny Bird Pokémon had no idea what was going on, but it wasn't about to let Fearow attack its home and harm its friends. Because of that, once it close enough, Pidgey started flapping its tiny wings so fast that it created a small windstorm. Due to its larger size, Fearow was completely unaffected by the attack, but its attention did shift towards Pidgey.

As the two Flying-Type Pokémon stared each other down, Pidgey tried its best to keep its composure in the face of Fearow's intimidating presence. Even though the two of them hadn't started battling yet, it was quite clear that Fearow was several time more powerful than Pidgey and could defeat it at any given moment. Despite that however, Pidgey refused to give in the fears that it was having and it soon recklessly charged towards its opponent with a Quick Attack. Unfortunately, when the blow made contact, Fearow was completely unaffected.

Once that was done, Fearow responded to Pidgey's attack by slamming its large beak right in the middle of the tiny Pokémon's chest. The attack was so devastating that Pidgey started falling down from the sky like a meteor. When Ariel saw this, the young woman immediately started running towards her little friend and managed to dive down and catch it before it hit the ground. She then looked over at Pidgey and saw that Fearow's attack inflicted a great deal of damage upon it.

Angered by the sight of all this destruction, Ariel glared fiercely at Fearow and prepared to bring out her Taillow in order to confront it. However, just as she was about to pull out its PokéBall, something suddenly knocked it out of her hand. Confused by what just happened, Ariel examined the area around her and soon saw something emerge from the forest. This individual was a man dressed entirely in black, with the only coloring was a large and red letter R that was placed on his chest. After coming from the shadows, the man looked at Ariel before giving her a sly and devious smile.

"So…the rumors were true," He said. "There is a secret haven of rare Flying-Type Pokémon here. I'm glad to see that my information wasn't wrong."

"Who…Who are you?" Ariel questioned. "What do you want?"

The mysterious man didn't respond to Ariel's question right away. Instead, all he did was let out a small whistle, which instantly caught Fearow's attention. The large Flying-Type soon stopped attacking all of the other Flying Pokémon that were present and immediately landed right in front of the man in black, indicating that he was its Trainer.

"…I'll just cut to the chase, miss. My name is Kaze and this is my partner Fearow. As you can see from this quick demonstration, my friend and I can destroy this little home yours anytime we see fit. However, I'm a nice guy and I'm willing to give you an opportunity to prevent that. All you have to do is hand over all of the Flying-Type Pokémon you currently have on you. Do that and I'll let you go…but refuse and I may have to get a little rough on you."

After Kaze finished giving his ultimatum, he gave Ariel a minute to think it over before making a decision. However, it took the young woman less than a second to come up with an answer. She was entrusted with the protection of this sanctuary by her father, who was entrusted by his own father. This was a sacred place to her family and she wasn't about to hand it over to anyone. The only problem is that she had no idea on how to deal with Kaze and his powerful Fearow, especially with only Pokémon out of arm's reach of her.

As Ariel pondered about this plight of hers, Pidgey was slowly beginning to regain consciousness and saw that Fearow was still in around. It also saw that the PokéBall that contained Ariel's Taillow was on the ground, not that far away from them. When it saw this, the Tiny Bird Pokémon instantly understood the situation that they were in and responded the only way it could.

"Time's up little girl. Now, are you going to hand over the Pokémon or-"

Just before Kaze could finished his sentence, Pidgey instantly sat up and made a beeline towards him and his Fearow. While Ariel was shocked by the sight of this and attempted to stop her little friend, the young woman watched as Pidgey glanced back at her for a moment. When she saw that, Ariel knew right away what Pidgey was planning and although she didn't like it she knew it was the only way. With that in mind, Ariel reluctantly made her way towards her PokéBall while Pidgey continued charging towards Kaze and Fearow.

"How foolish…Fearow, blast that little fool away with your Hyper Beam."

With a slight nod, Fearow quickly knocked Pidgey aside once it got close enough before launching it high into the air with its strong beak. The large Flying-Type then proceeded to open said beak and unleash a massive blast of purple and black energy. The beam quickly struck Pidgey, sending it flying across a vast distance of the Viridian Forest. Once it was out of sight, both Kaze and Fearow turned their attention back towards Aerial.

Upon looking at her however, both Kaze and Fearow looked on as Ariel was busy glaring at the two of them with tears in her eyes. Having seen what they've done to Pidgey, the young woman was beyond upset, so much so that she began hurting her hand as she firmly gripped the PokéBall that she was holding. Not wanting to see anyone else get hurt, Ariel threw the PokéBall and watched as her Taillow emerged from it, ready to fight. However, the sight of a new opponent only caused Kaze to shake his head in disappointment.

"So…It would seem that you're rejecting my offer."

* * *

Meanwhile, in another section of the Viridian Forest, Takashi Nakamura was continuing on his way to Pewter City for his first official Gym Battle. With his Pokémon partners Pikachu and Froakie by his side, the young Trainer was busy thinking about the battle he's going to be in and how he would best go about it. Even though the battle was still a while away, Takashi instinctively knew that he needed to be mentally prepared for it if he had any hope of winning.

As he continued to ponder about this, Takashi accidentally bumped into another Pokémon Trainer who went by the name of Momo. After apologizing for his lack of awareness, Takashi learned that Momo was also traveling around the Kanto Region, attempting to enter the Pokémon League by challenging Gyms. Since the two of them were after the same goal, Momo decided that this was a good opportunity to test herself and proceeded to challenge Takashi to a battle, to which he happily accepted.

Once the two of them made their way to an open space, Takashi went on to remove his hat and pull out his headband. After tying it tightly around his head, he promptly looked over towards Pikachu, who instantly got the signal and made his way onto the battlefield. The two of them then watched as Momo pulled out a PokéBall from her pocket and quickly threw it onto the battlefield as well.

"Butterfree, I choose you!"

As the PokéBall opened and unleashed a massive burst of light energy, Takashi watched as it quickly transformed into a giant butterfly with huge black and white wings, a purple body, and large red eyes. This was a Butterfree, a Pokémon Takashi had seen on several occasions due to them being fond of the flower garden that his mother, Haruka, had set up back in their home in Pallet Town. He then went on to pull out his PokéDex in order to get some information about this familiar Pokémon.

" _Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokémon and the final evolved form of Caterpie,"_ Dexter stated. _"Butterfree is excellent at seeking out flowers with the most delicious nectar. It sometimes flies more than six miles to locate its favorite food. Butterfree is a Bug/Flying-Type Pokémon."_

Once Dexter finally finished its explanation, Takashi quickly put his PokéDex back into his front pocket. He then examined Momo's Butterfree again and noticed how beautiful it looked. Although that didn't seem like much on the surface, Takashi knew that it meant that Momo had taken good care of it and raised it well. Because of that, both he and Pikachu needed to be careful if they wanted any chance of winning.

"Alright…Let's do this Butterfree!" Momo declared as she clinched both of her fists. "Start off with your String Shot!"

Almost instantly, Butterfree responded to its Trainer's command by firing a long strand of sticky string at Pikachu. Jumping back slightly, the Mouse Pokémon was able to successfully dodge the initial strike. He then examined it for a second before gently placing his paw on the stand. It instantly clung onto Pikachu, who used everything within his power to get it off of him. Just he finished doing that however, Pikachu watched as another strand of sticky string was headed right for him.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Takashi called out.

Not wasting any time, Pikachu skillfully sidestepped Butterfree's String Shot before racing towards the Bug-Type Pokémon. Once he saw that, Takashi immediately launched his counterattack.

"Now use Quick Attack!"

As he continued running towards his opponent, Pikachu suddenly picked up some speed and soon rammed his entire body into Butterfree's chest, the force of the impact knocking it down to the ground. Fortunately for Momo, that attack wasn't enough to take down her Pokémon, but it was also clear to her that she couldn't let Pikachu get any closer. With that in mind, she decided that she needed to create some distance.

"Don't let up Pikachu!" Takashi shouted. "Use Quick Attack again!"

"I won't let you!" Momo countered. "Butterfree, use Confusion!"

Just as Pikachu was about to connect with another lightning fast blow, Butterfree's eyes suddenly started glowing a light blue color. Then, just as it did that, Pikachu's body was suddenly surrounded by that same blue color and found himself unable to move at all. Upon seeing this, Takashi was greatly distressed by this turn of events, but not Momo. The young woman was very pleased as she knew that she had the advantage now.

"Good work! Now toss Pikachu around!"

Nodding its head in compliance, Butterfree used its psychic powers to push Pikachu into a nearby tree, dealing some massive damage onto the Electric Pokémon. However, instead of letting up, Butterfree immediately used its powers to slam Pikachu down onto the ground. It then continued this assault several more times, each blow gradually wearing down Pikachu's endurance.

Soon, after watching Pikachu get slammed onto the ground again, Takashi saw that his partner couldn't take another attack like that and that he needed to do something. The only problem though is that he didn't know what to do. Butterfree's Confusion attack had completely immobilized Pikachu, rendering all of his speed attacks useless. Fortunately, just as he came to that realization, another realization suddenly came over him.

"It's time to end this," Momo declared. "Butterfree, hold Pikachu in place and finish it off with your Psybeam!"

Letting out a small cry, Butterfree responded to its Trainer's command by strengthening its hold on Pikachu. Then, while its left eye continued glowing a light blue color, Butterfree's right eye now started glowing with all the colors of the rainbow. It was about to launch its attack and Takashi knew that it was now or never.

"Pikachu…Use all of your strength and fire off a Thunder Shock!"

With Butterfree just about to launch its attack, Pikachu gathered all the strength that he could possibly muster and fired off a powerful Thunder Shock. The attack was so great in fact that it broke through Butterfree's Confusion and managed to strike the Butterfly Pokémon, causing it to release its hold on Pikachu as the both fell to the ground. As they picked themselves back up though, both of their Trainers knew that they didn't have much left in the tank. The next attack would most likely end this battle, so they decided to bank of that one move.

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Butterfree, use Psybeam!"

Responding to their respective Trainers, Pikachu and Butterfree gathered all of their remaining strength and prepared to launch their final attacks. While Pikachu was gathering all of its power into the tip of its tail, creating an orb of electricity as a result, both of Butterfree's eyes started glowing with a rainbow color. Once it finally built up enough power, Butterfree fired off a power beam of psychic energy just as Pikachu threw his Electro Ball. The two attacks then collided, creating a powerful clash.

At first, it seemed like the two attacks were about evenly matched. However, as they continued to clash, it was slowly becoming clear that Butterfree's Psybeam was beginning to overpower Pikachu's Electro Ball. This was because Butterfree was continually adding fuel to the attack. When he noticed that, Takashi knew that he had to do the same.

"Pikachu…You have to use Thunder Shock on your Electro Ball!"

Nodding his head in response to Takashi's words, Pikachu gathered all of his remaining energy and fired off one last Thunder Shock attack. When it connected with the Electro Ball, the orb of electricity suddenly became much bigger and found itself evenly matched with Butterfree's Psybeam again. Eventually though, the Electro Ball began to overpower the Psybeam and soon broke through it and struck Butterfree, sending it flying backwards.

Momo immediately rushed over towards Butterfree after watching it land hard onto the ground. As he looked at this, Takashi could tell that the Bug-Type was knocked out and couldn't battle anymore. That meant that he won the battle, much to his joy.

"Yes! We did it Pikachu!"

Pikachu slowly turned towards Takashi and smiled, happy that he was able to win the battle for him. However, fatigue was quickly settling in and the Mouse Pokémon soon found himself lying across the ground. Seeing that prompted Takashi race over towards Pikachu and pick him up, holding the Electric-Type in his arms.

While this was going on, Momo was checking up on her Butterfree. The Butterfly Pokémon was upset that it lost the battle for her, but Momo kindly assured it that everything was alright. She then went on to pull out Butterfree's PokéBall and it inside of it. Once she did that and put the ball away, Momo made her away over to Takashi and proceeded to extend her hand out towards him.

"Congratulations," She said with a kind smile. "That was a great battle,"

"…Same here," Takashi replied with a smile of his own. "Hope to battle you again in the future."

Taking his hand, Takashi gently grabbed Momo's and happily shook it. The battle they just had was very fun, as well as very informative. With the experience firmly etched into his mind, Takashi felt he has grown as a Trainer and was now even more prepared for his eventual Gym Battle in Pewter City.

Soon, the two Trainers parted ways and began walking off in opposite directions. As he walked, Takashi checked the map function on his PokéGear in order to see that he was going the right way. When he did, the young man saw that while that was the case, it would still take him quite a while for him to get out of the Viridian Forest. Although that disheartened him a little, Takashi decided the best thing he could do now is plan his next move. With that in mind, both he and Pikachu decided to take a break at a nearby open space.

Upon arriving at the space, Takashi gently put Pikachu down and checked to see if he was okay. Once he saw that he was, he then pulled out the PokéBall that contained his Froakie and proceeded to let out the Bubble Frog Pokémon. Takashi then went on to feed both of his Pokémon before sitting down near a tree and thinking quietly to himself.

"Okay…It's been about 2 weeks since I first left Pallet Town. I currently have 2 Pokémon in Pikachu and Froakie. If I'm going to ready for battle at the Pewter Gym, then perhaps I should try and capture another Pokémon before then. The only question is…what Pokémon should I capture?"

While Takashi continued thinking quietly to himself, Pikachu and Froakie continued eating their lunch. As they did so however, both Pokémon suddenly picked up on something thanks to their enhanced hearing. Unsure of what they heard, but compelled to find out, Pikachu and Froakie raced off towards the source of the noise. When he saw them leave from the corner of his eye, Takashi immediately got up and began chasing after his Pokémon.

"Guys wait!" He called out. "Where are you going?!"

As Takashi continued running after Pikachu and Froakie, he instantly got the feeling that something was not right. It was almost like his Pokémon was leading him to some kind of trouble. Soon enough, the three of them came across something lying on the ground. Upon a closer inspection, Takashi saw that it was a gravely injured Pidgey and, without wasting a single moment, began to treat it as best as he could.

While their Trainer tended to the Pidgey's injuries, both Pikachu and Froakie began staring out into the distance. Both of them sensed that something wasn't right and that there was danger nearby. They also sensed that whoever was behind this disturbance was very powerful, causing them to wonder what was going on. Eventually, as they continued to ponder about this, Takashi just finished tending to Pidgey, prompting both Pikachu and Froakie to rush back over to him.

As the three of them looked down at the sleeping Pidgey, Takashi began pondering something to himself. From what he could tell, this Pidgey got into the massive fight. This was rather confusing as, from what he knew, most Pidgey would rather avoid conflict. Wondering if he was wrong, Takashi pulled out Dexter from his pocket and checked the PokéDex in order to see what was up.

" _Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Pidgey is very docile. If attacked, it will often kick up sand to protect itself rather than fight back. Pidgey is a Normal/Flying-Type Pokémon."_

Once Dexter finished its explanation, Takashi placed the device back into his pocket before turning his attention back towards Pidgey. Like he assumed, most Pidgey hate fighting and would rather avoid it if possible. Because of that, the young Trainer was left somewhat confused by this Pidgey's injuries as it was clear that they came from a fight. Before he could ponder it further however, Pikachu alerted to Takashi that Pidgey was beginning to wake up.

Upon slowly opening its eyes, the first thing Pidgey saw was Takashi and his Pokémon. Seeing them completely surround it caused the tiny Pokémon to panic and jumped back a few paces as result. It then assumed a fighting position, prompting Takashi to extend his hands out as a sign of no ill will.

"Easy little guy…" He said in a calm tone of voice. "We're not here to hurt you, I promise."

Takashi's words did little to dissuade Pidgey, as it was still too riled up from what happened earlier. Even when both Pikachu and Froakie vouched for him didn't change the Flying-Type's mind. This soon prompted Pidgey to try and attack Takashi, but was quickly intercepted by Froakie.

"Hey, listen to me! We're not here to fight you, Pidgey! Please calm down!"

Again, Pidgey ignored Takashi's words and attempted to attack him again. Like before, Froakie intercepted the attack and it soon became clear to her that words weren't going to end this conflict. She was going to need to fight and, upon looking back over to Takashi, attempted to convey that to him.

Although he was very reluctant to fight an injured opponent, especially one like Pidgey, Takashi soon realized that he didn't have a choice anymore. Because of that, the young man decided that he would end the battle quickly and try not to injure Froakie any more than he had too.

"Fine then…" He said reluctantly. "But you asked for this. Froakie…use Pound attack!"

Nodding her head in compliance, Froakie jumped towards Pidgey and prepared to strike it with her paw. However, before the attack could connect, Pidgey flew up and managed to evade it. It then launched a Quick Attack, diving towards Froakie at an incredible speed.

"Dodge it Froakie and use Bubble!"

Using her incredible jumping skills, Froakie managed to skillfully dodge Pidgey's attack before proceeding to land on a nearby tree branch. As she turned around and saw Pidgey coming around for another attack, Froakie went on to take a deep breath before spewing out a large barrage of highly dense bubbles from her mouth. Although Pidgey managed to avoid some of them, the Tiny Bird Pokémon was simply too weak to dodge them all and was quickly overwhelmed as a result.

After seeing Pidgey fall to the ground, Takashi hoped that would be the end and that he could go back to tending to its wounds. Unfortunately, Pidgey simply refused to stay down. The weakened Flying-Type slowly got back to its feet and tried its best to unleash a Gust attack by flapping its wings. Sadly, the only thing Pidgey managed to do was create a gentle breeze, prompting Froakie to calmly walk over and knock it down with a Pound attack.

As Pidgey struggled to get back up, Froakie looked over at Takashi with a concerned expression on her face. It was clear to the Bubble Frog Pokémon that this battle was over and that anymore fighting would be pointless. Takashi agreed with this sentiment and tried to figure out a way to end this now before things got of hand. Eventually, as he continued to watch Pidgey stagger around, an idea popped into his head.

Reaching towards his belt, Takashi grabbed an empty PokéBall that was attached to it and pressed the button in the middle. As the ball expanded until it fit entirely in his hand, he looked over towards Pidgey and saw that it was about to launch another Quick Attack at Froakie. Just as it was about to take off however, Takashi threw the PokéBall at the Flying Pokémon. When it struck it, the ball opened and Pidgey was converted into red energy. After that, Pidgey was sucked into the PokéBall as it closed back up and fell onto the ground.

As both he and his Pokémon watched the PokéBall wiggle back and forth, Takashi simply looked on with a mixed expression on his face. Unlike with Froakie, he felt no enjoyment in this battle. The only reason why he decided to capture Pidgey is because it simply wouldn't stop fighting. Something was clearly driving this Pokémon will beyond its limits and Takashi had a feeling that it was something very important. However, the only way he could find out what that was is to end the battle and catching Pidgey was the only way he knew how.

Eventually, after a few more seconds of waiting, the PokéBall stopped moving and let out some sparkling glitter. This was the sign that Pidgey's capture was successful and it was now Takashi's Pokémon. With that, the young man walked over towards PokéBall and picked it up from off the ground. He then looked down towards Pikachu and Froakie, who were both looking back at him.

"C'mon you guys…Let's get going."

* * *

Following his battle against Pidgey, Takashi spent next several hours tending to Pidgey. With the help of Pikachu and Froakie, the three of them were once again able to treat its wounds. Once they finished, Pikachu and Froakie went on the lookout for any wild Pokémon or Trainers that may approach them. Although they would normally be eager for battle, the two of them knew that now wasn't the time for that. The only thing that mattered right now is Pidgey's treatment and they were determined that it got plenty of rest.

Soon enough, as the sun began to set, Takashi noticed that Pidgey was beginning to regain consciousness. When it saw him again, Pidgey was once again taken aback and almost prepared itself for battle. Fortunately, before it could do so, Takashi calmly presented a berry to Pidgey, causing it to stop.

"Please wait…" He said to it. "Trust me…I'm not your enemy."

Letting out a small smile, Takashi gently nodded his head at Pidgey in order to assure it that he was telling the truth. The Flying-Type then watched as both Pikachu and Froakie got on Takashi's shoulder and smiled at it as well, showing Pidgey that they felt the same way. Once it saw that, Pidgey finally realized that three of them were not its enemy and that they could be trusted. With that, it promptly ate the berry that it was presented with.

As Pidgey continued eating, Takashi took a moment to examine the Pokémon again. He still wondered how it got hurt earlier and why it seemed so angry and determined. It was clear that something bad happened to Pidgey, but he had no idea why that was. So, just as Pidgey finished eating, the young man decided to ask his newest Pokémon about it.

"So Pidgey…What happened to you? Is something wrong?"

Upon listening to Takashi's concerns, Pidgey immediately thought about what happened earlier with Kaze and his Fearow. Just thinking about that battle caused its blood to boil. However, that battle also caused Pidgey to realize something. Ariel and the other Flying Pokémon were still back there and in trouble. This caused Pidgey to let out a frantic scream before taking off for its home.

"Hey...Pidgey!"

Almost on instinct, Takashi grabbed Pidgey's PokeBall and prepared to return the Pokémon back to it. Before he could do so however, Froakie immediately stopped Takashi by throwing a piece of her Frubbles at his head. When he turned to face her, Takashi saw that Froakie was telling him not to recall Pidgey. Instead, she wanted him to follow after it. Although he was confused at first, Takashi decided to trust in his Pokémon's judgment. With that, he chased after Pidgey while both Froakie and Pidgey follow close behind.

Soon, after about 20 minutes of running, Takashi soon found himself at Pidgey's nest. Right away, the young man took notice of all the destruction and realized that whatever happened here was the cause for Pidgey's injuries. Now the only questioned that remained is who was responsible for all this.

While Takashi attempted to piece this situation together, the Pokémon suddenly picked up on something from behind them. As they turned to face it, Takashi took notice of them and soon saw that they were looking at some moving bushes. Right away, he thought that whoever was in those bushes was behind the attack thus he promptly prepared himself. After a few more seconds of waiting, the group watched as a young woman suddenly emerged from the bushes.

The young woman was none other than Ariel, who looked very worn out. Her hair was messed up and she had several scratches all over her body. When she first saw Takashi, Ariel immediately assumed that he was with Kaze and prepared herself for a fight. However, all that changed after seeing Pidgey fly up to her. Upon seeing it and realizing that it was hers, Ariel became teary eyed as she held it close.

"Oh thank goodness!" She said with relief. "I'm so glad you're alright, Pidgey."

As Ariel continued to embrace Pidgey, Takashi and his Pokémon simply looked on at the two of them. It was obvious from their interaction that they knew each other and it made Takashi wonder if Pidgey was actually Ariel's Pokémon. If that were the case, the young man realized that he might have a problem on his hands due to the fact that he caught Pidgey. Despite that though, he decided to worry about that later. For now he was simply happy to see that Pidgey found someone it knew.

Eventually, after she finished her embrace, Ariel noticed the bandages that were covering Pidgey's body. Upon looking back at Takashi, the young woman instantly put two and two together and realized that he was the one who helped out her little friend. With that, she quickly made her way over to him.

"Thank you so much for helping Pidgey," She said to him with a smile. "I feared the worst had happened, but I'm glad to see that Pidgey found some help. My name is Ariel and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here…" Takashi replied. "My name is Takashi. So…what happened here? Who caused all of this?"

Ariel paused for a moment as she was reluctant to tell Takashi about what happened early. However, after seeing that helped Pidgey, the young woman concluded that he was someone that she could trust. With that, Ariel decided to explain what happened.

"Well…You see…"

Just as she was about to tell her story, a large gust of wind suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and knocked Ariel down. Acting quickly, Takashi managed to catch the young woman before she hit the ground. He then looked on and watched as a Fearow suddenly emerged from the bushes. Having never seen one before, Takashi quickly pulled out his PokéDex and used it to scan the Flying-Type.

" _Fearow, the Beak Pokémon, and the evolved form of Spearow._ _With its huge and magnificent wings, Fearow can keep aloft without ever having to land for rest. Fearow is a Normal/Flying-Type."_

Just as Dexter finished its explanation, Takashi watched as someone else emerged from the bushes. It was revealed to be Kaze and, upon seeing him, both Ariel and Pidgey glared at him with intense eyes. When he saw those expressions, he immediately understood what was going on and so did his Pokémon, who promptly assumed a fighting position.

"So…You're the responsible for all this!" He said in angry tone of voice.

"Indeed I am," Kaze casually confirmed. "The name is Kaze and I'm here for all your Flying Pokémon. I highly recommend you hand them over to me."

Upon hearing Kaze say that, Takashi looked over towards Pidgey and took note of all the bandages that were covering its tiny body. It was at that moment that he realized that Pidgey got hurt trying to defend itself from Kaze and his Fearow. This revelation angered him greatly, prompting Takashi to respond in kind.

"Like hell I will! I'm not going to let you get your hands on Pidgey!"

"…I see," Kaze shook his head in disbelief as a small smirk appeared on his face. "It's you're funeral. Fearow…use Drill Peck!"

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Going up against Kaze and powerful Fearow, Takashi will have to put everything he learned so far to the test if has any hope of defeating them and helping Ariel save her Flying Pokémon. Will he be able to do it? Also, what about Pidgey? Will Ariel allow Takashi to keep it or will she ask for it back?_

 _Next Time, Chapter 9: The Brave Little Bird – Part 2_


	9. Chapter 9

Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

 **Chapter 9:** _The Brave Little Bird – Part 2_

 _ **Takashi's Pokémon**_

 _Pikachu (Male)_

 _Froakie (Female)_

 _Pidgey (Male)_

* * *

"Fearow…use Drill Peck!"

As he watched Fearow prepare itself to launch its attack, Takashi Nakamura braced himself for what was about to take place. In the span of only a few hours, the young Trainer not only found himself catching a brand new Pokémon in Pidgey, but also learning that he seemingly belonged to a young woman named Ariel. Not only that, but he also discovered that Ariel was being harassed by a man named Kaze and his powerful Fearow. It was a lot to take in, but Takashi saw that he didn't have time to ponder on his situation for very long.

With just one flap of its large and powerful wings, Fearow flew towards Takashi and the others at an incredible speed. As it did so, the Beak Pokémon began spinning around like a top, which in turn made its sharp beak become a makeshift drill. In the nick of time, the managed to barely evade Fearow's attack and watch as it began making its way towards an oncoming tree. To their utter shock, they watched as tree was instantly cut in two due to the sheer power of Fearow attack.

Once the tree fell to the ground, Fearow quickly picked itself back up and prepared to launch another Drill Peck. Refusing to allow it to do that move again, Pidgey got in front of the group and began flapping his tiny wings as hard and as fast as his could. This was Pidgey's Gust attack, but unfortunately the wind that he was creating was simply not strong enough to stop Fearow, who began making its way towards him.

"Pidgey, look out!"

Almost on instinct, Takashi immediately ran up and grabbed a hold of Pidgey. He then ducked down at the last minute, barely managing to avoid Fearow's attack. Then, as he watched Fearow come around for another assault, the young man promptly made his counterattack.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock and Froakie, use Bubble!"

Nodding their heads in compliance, Pikachu and Froakie stepped up and proceeded to launch their respective attacks. For Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon unleashed a blast of electricity from the red sacs that were on his cheeks. At the same time, Froakie fired off several highly dense bubbles from her mouth. The two attacks flew over and struck Fearow, causing it to stop in its tracks. However, much to Takashi's surprise, his combined assault wasn't as effective as he had hoped.

In one swift and powerful motion, Fearow managed to shake off Pikachu and Froakie's attack before continuing on with its Drill Peck. The two Pokémon managed to avoid Fearow in the nick of time, but they were blown back a bit by the air pressure that it created. They then watched as Fearow flew back to Kaze's side, who seemed a bit amused by what was taking place.

"Not bad kid," He said in a slightly sarcastic tone. "At least you're doing better than that woman beside you. I couldn't believe how weak she and her Pokémon were."

Taking a glance at her from the corner of his eye, Takashi saw how hurt Ariel was from Kaze's comment. Although he wasn't there for that battle, it was obvious from the scratches on her body that Ariel gave that fight everything she had. To be disrespected like that was an obvious blow to her pride as a Pokémon Trainer, which was one of the reasons why she was upset. Takashi understood that and although he wanted to say something in response, he knew had to focus on the battle right now.

"Alright…" He said as he prepared himself again. "Pikachu, now use Quick-"

Just before he could finish announcing his next attack, Takashi was suddenly caught off guard when he saw Pidgey struggle to free himself from his grasp. Despite his injuries, the Tiny Bird Pokémon was determined to finish his fight against Fearow and he wasn't about to let anyone stop him. As a result, despite the fact that both Takashi and Ariel tried to calm him down, Pidgey broke free and began flying towards Fearow again.

As everyone looked on, Pidgey used his Quick Attack to fly at Fearow at an incredible speed. Even though Fearow was able to avoid the initial strike, Pidgey quickly followed it up by flying straight up, landing the second blow directly into his opponent's chest. Unfortunately, while Fearow did feel the impact of Pidgey's attack, it was nowhere near enough to take it down. Because of that, the Beak Pokémon simply knocked Pidgey towards the ground with one of its large wings.

"It's over for you, small fry!" Kaze declared with a deadly smirk. "Fearow…destroy it with Hyper Beam!"

Without any hesitation, Fearow opened its large beak and began charging up energy for its Hyper Beam attack. After gathering up enough powerful, Fearow unleashed a powerful blast towards the fallen Pidgey. As Takashi and Ariel both looked on in horror, Froakie immediately stepped up and jumped in front of Pidgey at the last moment. The two of them were then seemingly consumed by a large explosion, created at the moment Fearow's attack struck.

When the smoke cleared and Froakie and Pidgey were nowhere to be seen, everyone initially assumed that they were completely destroyed. At that exact moment however, Fearow suddenly found itself struck from behind by several bubbles. When it turned around, the Beak Pokémon saw that they attack came from Froakie, who was standing on top of a tree branch. By her side was also Pidgey, who managed to survive as well.

Just before Fearow's Hyper Beam landed, Froakie grabbed Pidgey and used her incredible jumping ability to dodge the attack, using the resulting smokescreen for cover. Unfortunately, while she was able to survive that experience, Fearow's attack also created a powerful shockwave that damaged Froakie a good deal. Even though she managed to launch a follow up attack, it was clear Froakie was hurting and Kaze had every intention of exploiting her weakness.

"Quick Fearow, use Drill-"

Before Kaze could even finish his declaration, Pikachu immediately ran up and tackled Fearow from behind. When it turned around, the Beak Pokémon watched as Pikachu was getting ready to launch another electric attack at it.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

"Fearow…Fury Attack!"

At the exact moment Pikachu fired off another blast of electricity at Fearow, the Flying Pokémon immediately responded by preparing to strike back with its sharp beak. The two attacks collided, shocking Fearow while knocking Pikachu down towards the ground. While that was going on, Froakie jumped down with Pidgey and promptly made her way back towards Takashi and Ariel.

While proud of his Pokémon for her quick actions, Takashi took notice of Froakie's injuries and saw that she took a lot of damage. He then looked over towards Pikachu and saw that he wasn't fairing much better. Even though he managed to get two attacks on Fearow, the Beak Pokémon simply wouldn't go down. Not only that, but the combination of being struck by a Fury Attack and crashing into the ground, damaged Pikachu a good deal. This battle wasn't going to last much longer and if things continued as they are, Takashi knew he was going to lose.

Ariel suspected this as well as she observed the battle. Fearow was so strong and durable that even fighting 3-on-1 wasn't enough to take it down. Something needed to be done about this because knew that Takashi couldn't afford to lose.

"We should retreat! We can't win right now!"

"…I know," Takashi agreed. "But how do we get away?"

As Ariel tried to figure out how to do that, the young woman noticed that Pidgey still seemed eager to fight, despite the fact that he could barely stand. When she saw that, Ariel suddenly remembered a move that Pidgey knew that could help them out of this situation.

"Pidgey!" She called out to. "Use your Sand Attack!"

Upon hearing Ariel's command, Pidgey turned his head and looked at her with a confused expression on his face. The little Flying Pokémon knew exactly what she was planning, but was reluctant to go about it. He wanted to continue fighting, but using Sand Attack meant that wasn't going to happen. Pidgey was about to disobey her, but stopped when he took notice of both Pikachu and Froakie.

Despite the fact that they injured too, the two of them were determined to protect Pidgey long enough to use his move. They got those injuries trying to protect him and were willing to get hurt even more if that meant they could all get out here. Upon realizing that, Pidgey reluctantly swallowed his pride and proceeded to flap its wings towards the ground. This caused a small sandstorm to completely envelop the area.

To protect his eyesight, Kaze used his arms to block the oncoming sand. When Fearow took note of that, the Beak Pokémon turned its attention away from Takashi and the others for a moment and used its massive wings to blow all the sand away. Once it was gone, Kaze and Fearow looked back and noticed that everyone was gone. They were the only ones left.

"Hmph…Running away are we," Kaze said as he stared out into the distance. "Oh well…I'm sure I'll be seeing them again soon enough."

Kaze let out a small smirk as he turned around and began making his way towards another section of the forest. As Fearow followed close behind, the two of them came across a large number of Flying-Type Pokémon, all of which were trapped in cages. As he watched the Pokémon struggle to break free from their restraints, Kaze started laughing hysterically.

"After all…They wouldn't want abandon you all, would they."

* * *

Later, as the moonlight shined down on the Viridian Forest, Takashi and Ariel were busy sitting by a small campfire as they tended to their Pokémon. It's been about 3 hours since the battle against Kaze and his Fearow and the two Trainers were trying to come up with a way to defeat them. Not only that, but that things have died down a bit, Takashi decided that now would probably be a good time to tell Ariel about how he and Pidgey met.

As she listened, Takashi explained to her that he encountered Pidgey after he was blown away from one of Kaze's attacks. He attempted to tend to his wounds, but Pidgey ended up attacking him instead, forcing a battle between them. Since Pidgey refused to give up no matter how many times he got knocked down, Takashi reluctantly decided to catch him instead.

"I see…" Ariel said after listening to the story. "So that's what happened."

"…Yeah," Takashi replied. "I thought Pidgey was a wild Pokémon. If knew he belonged to you, I would've found another way to stop it."

"It's fine…Besides, Pidgey isn't technically my Pokémon."

Takashi's eyes widen a bit after hearing Ariel say that. All this time, the young man was under the assumption that Pidgey belonged to her. But now it's revealed that's not the case at all.

"But you told me that you take care of all the Flying Pokémon in the Viridian Forest. Doesn't that mean that Pidgey is your Pokémon?"

"No…" Ariel answered. "It's true that my family and I take care of the Flying Pokémon here in the forest. But that doesn't mean that the Pokémon belong to us. We just take care of them until they're ready to move on somewhere else. Also…if Pidgey were in fact my Pokémon, then your PokeBall wouldn't have been able to capture it."

Upon hearing Ariel's explanation, Takashi proceeded to pull out Pidgey's PokeBall and examine it. He was a bit confused as he thought a PokéBall was capable of catching any kind of Pokémon. But now it's been revealed that the ball wouldn't have worked if Pidgey had belonged to Ariel. When she saw the look on his face, Ariel went on explain what she meant.

"When a Pokémon is caught by a PokéBall they are essentially 'marked' by it. This mark protects the Pokémon, preventing them from being caught by another Trainer's PokéBall. The only way to get rid of the mark is to either Release the Pokémon or destroy the PokéBall that it's connected too."

"I see…" Takashi said as he began to understand. "So because Pidgey wasn't marked, my PokéBall was able to catch it."

"Exactly…Which means Pidgey is your Pokémon now."

After hearing Ariel say that, Takashi started to feel a bit better about the situation involving Pidgey's capture. Initially, he had every intention of returning Pidgey to Ariel if that's what she wanted. He didn't want to feel like he stole her Pokémon. However, now that Pidgey is technically his now, the situation was different. Still, although a part of him was glad to have a new Pokémon friend on his team, Takashi knew that he couldn't really accept it until he got Pidgey's thoughts on the matter.

Speaking of Pidgey, Takashi wanted to see how he was doing and so he started looking for him. He soon spotted the Tiny Bird Pokémon sitting on a small stump, staring at the moon. Takashi also noticed that Pidgey had a determined look on his face as it was clear that he was still thinking about Kaze and his Fearow. Just seeing that look on his face reminded Takashi of something, prompting him to ask Ariel about it.

"So…can I ask you something about Pidgey?"

"What is it?" Ariel replied with a slight nod.

"It's just that…most of the Pidgey I've seen are quite cowardly. Usually don't like to fight and will always try to run away if they think they're in trouble. But this Pidgey's different. He's so determined that he'll never back down from a fight, even if he's injured. Did something happen…or was Pidgey always like that."

Pausing for a moment, Ariel took a moment to look at Pidgey. As she watched the Tiny Bird Pokémon stare out into the night sky, the young woman started thinking about his past. At the root of it all, Ariel was aware that Pidgey's past was the reason why he's so stubborn and refuses to give up. Because of that, and because she trusted Takashi, Ariel decided to explain what she knew.

"Pidgey…" She started off. "Pidgey is rather passionate Pokémon. I guess he's always has been. But, that passion mostly stems from his father, Pidgeot. Ever since he was just a hatchling, Pidgey had always looked up to Pidgeot and strived to be just like him. I guess that's the reason why he's always so stubborn when it comes to battle, as he knows his father would keep on going even if it meant death."

"…I see," Takashi replied, getting a better understanding. "Wait…You just said that Pidgey knows that his father would keep on fighting until the very end. Does that mean…"

"Yeah…" Ariel placed her head down for a moment before looking back at Pidgey. "About 2 years ago, a large group of angry forest Pokémon appeared and attacked us. Despite being outnumbered, Pidgeot fought bravely and managed to buy us enough time for us to escape and find a new place to live. Unfortunately, although he managed to drive those Pokémon away, Pidgeot's injuries were simply too severe and soon died from them. Since that day, Pidgey has been so stubbornly determined in practically everything that he does…as he wants to live up to his father's example and be just as strong as he was."

Once Ariel finished her explanation, Takashi took a moment to look towards Pidgey as well. Having just heard his story, the young man realized just how similar the two of them were. The two of them were not only very stubborn and determined, but they also wanted to live up to their respective fathers legacies and make them proud. Takashi understood that and, as a result, his respect for the Tiny Bird Pokémon quickly began to grow.

Now that he had a better understanding of Pidgey's feelings, Takashi knew exactly what he had to do now. To that end, he picked himself up and started making his way over towards Pidgey. Then, as Ariel and the other Pokémon looked on, Takashi sat down next to his newest friend. Although Pidgey was a bit apprehensive at first, the Flying-Type quickly calmed down after seeing the smile that's on Takashi's face. He then listened as the young man started talking.

"I know what it's like…" He started off. "The pain of losing your dad and the desire of wanting to be as strong as him. Sometimes you can get so consumed by it that nothing else really seems to matter. I guess…What I'm trying to say Pidgey, is that I know what you're feeling."

Pidgey looked up at Takashi with a shocked expression on his face. The Tiny Bird Pokémon didn't expect to hear that, especially from a human. However, his surprise would only increase as he listened to the young man's story.

"Still…you need to learn that there's only so much you can do on your own. Even if you believe that you can do anything, that doesn't mean that you can. It's only by working together with your friends that it actually becomes possible. At least…that's what my dad always taught me."

Pausing for a moment, Takashi reached into his pocket and pulled out his father's headband. As he stared at it, the young Trainer starting thinking about his late father and all the lessons he taught him. Thinking about those times brought a smile to his face, but it also caused Takashi to shed a few tears as well. Upon wiping those tears away, Takashi looked at Pidgey with a confident smile on his face.

"I know that you're going to become a strong Pokémon, just like your father. And, if you'll let me, I would like to help you get there…by first beating Kaze and his Fearow!"

As Pidgey stared at Takashi, the Tiny Bird Pokémon took notice of his smile. It reminded him of the same smile that his father would used to give him whenever he was feeling down. That smile always made Pidgey feel better and it always gave him the confidence to keep going even when he feeling down on himself. Because of that, Pidgey was slowly beginning to see an image of his father from within Takashi.

Later on, as he continued to look on at him, Pidgey later notice both Pikachu and Froakie get on top of their Trainer's shoulders. Although the way they expressed it was slightly different, both Pokémon vouched for Takashi's claims. It was only by working together that they were able to get out of their respective problems and become good friends with him. The same situation was now applying to Pidgey and both Pikachu and Froakie wanted to help him just like how Takashi helped them.

Upon seeing all of that, Pidgey looked down towards the ground for a moment as he thought about the battles he had against Fearow. Remembering that the second battle went far better than the first because of the teamwork that Takashi's Pokémon displayed, Pidgey realized that the only way he could win was to work with the others. Because of that, the Flying-Type gave Takashi a determined look as he nodded his head at him.

"Alright then. Now…I think I have a way to defeat Kaze and save the rest of your friends. Listen up."

While Takashi discussed his plan with his Pokémon, Ariel was looking at all of them back at the campfire. This was the first time she's seen Pidgey being so agreeable with others before. Most of the times, the Tiny Bird Pokémon would just stick to himself, preferring to be alone as it trained or dealt with other problems. However, that wasn't the case now as Pidgey was willing to work with Takashi. Just seeing this brought a small smile onto Ariel's face as it showed her that Takashi was a positive influence on the Flying Pokémon. She then proceeded to join them as they made their plans.

* * *

The following day, as the sun was beginning to rise above the Viridian Forest, Kaze and his Fearow was busy standing at the edge of Ariel's Pokémon Sanctuary. Having dealt with people like her and Takashi before, the thug was confident that the two of them would return for the captive Flying Pokémon. Once they do, Kaze would make sure that they wouldn't escape and that all of their Pokémon would be his.

Eventually, after about another hour of waiting, Kaze's Fearow noticed something heading towards them from the east. Turning his head, Kaze looked on and watched as both Takashi and Pidgey was walking towards him. Upon seeing them, a fiendish smile appeared on both his and Fearow's faces.

"So you've come back," He said to them. "Good…That saves me the trouble of having to look for you."

"Same here," Takashi replied. "This time I'm going to put both you and your Fearow down for good!"

As Kaze smirked at Takashi's words, the young man simply kept his cool. He then glanced at Pidgey and noticed that he was shaking in anticipation. Just looking at Fearow angered the Tiny Bird Pokémon greatly, so much so that he wanted to lung straight at it. Fortunately, Pidgey restrained himself after it glanced over at Takashi. If he wanted to save the other Flying Pokémon, Pidgey knew that he needed to keep his cool just like Takashi and focus on the task at hand. As a result, Pidgey simply held his ground and waited for the opponent to make the first move.

After a bit of waiting, Kaze realized that Takashi was goading him to attack first. It was an obvious tactic, but he decided to go along with it in order to prove that no plan that the Trainer came up with was good enough to defeat him.

"Alright…Fearow, use Drill Peck!"

Nodding its head in compliance, Fearow spread out its large wings and began flying towards Pidgey at an incredible speed. It then closed its sharp beak before spinning around like a top. Upon seeing that, Takashi had Pidgey respond in kind.

"Pidgey, dodge and fly up into the air!"

Pidgey responded to Takashi's order with a loud cry. He then flapped his tiny wings before flying high into the air, narrowly avoiding Fearow's attack. Once he saw that, Takashi quickly launched his next move.

"Now use Gust!"

Right away, Pidgey started rapidly flapping both his tiny wings as quickly as he could, creating a small windstorm. Unfortunately, the attack didn't have much of an effect on Fearow due to the Beak Pokémon's greater size and strength. Because of that, it was able to easily dispel the attack with one flap of its own wings. As soon as that happened, Fearow started flying towards Pidgey again.

"Fearow, use Fury Attack!" Kaze ordered.

"Pidgey, dodge with Quick Attack!" Takashi countered.

Both Pokémon acted upon their respective Trainer's orders as Fearow prepared to bombard its opponent with a rapid barrage of powerful strikes from its beak. Thankfully, Pidgey managed to avoid the assault by using his Quick Attack to speed up his movements. The two Pokémon then started flying across the sky, with one of them trying to land an attack while the other tries his best to avoid getting hit.

As the battle continued, Takashi looked up and noticed that Fearow was gradually closing in on Pidgey, despite the later using Quick Attack to increase his speed. Because of the injuries that he sustained the other day, Takashi knew that Pidgey wasn't at 100 percent and that one powerful attack could take it out. To that end, he needed to come up with something now before it was too late. Luckily, an idea soon popped into his head after remembering where he was.

"Pidgey, make your way towards one of the trees!"

Pidgey glanced over at Takashi while still trying to avoid Fearow's attacks. Right away, the Tiny Bird Pokémon immediately understood what he was planning and quickly went along with it. With that, Pidgey dove down towards one of the trees and began flying in front of it. Upon seeing that, Kaze decided to put an end to this battle right now.

"This battle is over!" He declared. "Fearow, use Drill Peck one more time!"

Without any hesitation, Fearow started diving down towards Pidgey and once again started spinning its body like a giant top. This time, the Beak Pokémon sped up its movements so that it would be practically impossible for Pidgey to avoid getting hit. When he saw that, Takashi knew that he would have to time this just right and so he raised his right arm high into the air. He then silently indicated to Pidgey to focus on his hand, with the Flying Pokémon did.

Once Fearow reached a certain point, Takashi quickly swung his arm back down, signaling out to Pidgey. Upon seeing that, Pidgey gathered all of his strength and used it to narrowly avoid Fearow's attack. He then watched as Fearow's beak became stuck within the tree that it just hit. While this shocked Kaze immensely, this was precisely the moment that both Takashi and Pidgey were counting on and so they immediately responded with their counterattack.

"Pidgey, use Quick Attack…and don't stop!"

Nodding his head again, Pidgey started diving towards Fearow at a blinding speed and rammed his tiny body into his opponent's rib cage. Although the attack didn't do much damage at first, Pidgey kept on attacking the same spot of Fearow's body over and over again. This caused a small acumination of damage to gradually pile up, causing Fearow to feel a good deal amount of pain.

Eventually, after finally freeing its beak from the tree, Fearow turned around and saw Pidgey rushing towards it again. It tried to move out of the way, but the repeatedly blow to its ribs made it difficult to move. Because of that, when Pidgey struck it there again, the attack literally knocked the wind out of it and knocked the Beak Pokémon towards the ground. Pidgey then prepared himself to launch the final attack.

"Alright Pidgey," Takashi called out too. "Let's wrap this up with one last Quick Attack!"

After letting out a loud cry, Pidgey started flying up high into the air. Once he was high as the tallest tree within the Viridian Forest, he dove back down and started making his way towards Fearow. As Kaze looked on, he noticed that Pidgey was using both the speed of the Quick Attack along with gravity in order to increase the overall power of the attack. Knowing that he could lose if this attack landed, Kaze decided to stop playing games and soon pulled out a PokéBall from his belt.

"It's not over yet, punk!" He said as he threw the ball. "Golbat, use Air Cutter!"

Looking on in shock, Takashi watched as the PokéBall that Kaze just threw opened up and unleashed a massive blast of light energy. Upon taking shape, it turned into a giant blue bat-like Pokémon with purple wing membranes and an extremely large mouth. When Pidgey saw this new Pokémon, he immediately stopped his attack, giving Fearow the opportunity to recover and join its comrade in the sky.

"Did you really think that this would be just a one-on-one battle, kid?!" Kaze asked Takashi. "If so, then you really are a fool!"

As Kaze started laughing at him, Takashi glared at Kaze as he balled up his fists. Although he should have expected this from the beginning, a part of him hoped that his opponent would play this battle straight. However, that wasn't the case anymore and now he had two opponents to deal with instead of just one. Takashi then went on to pull out his PokéDex, hoping that Dexter will give him some insight on Golbat.

" _Golbat, the Bat Pokémon and the evolved form of Zubat."_ Dexter explained. _"Once it strikes, Golbat will not stop draining its victim's blood even if it's too heavy to fly. Golbat is a Poison/Flying-Type."_

Once Dexter finished its explanation, Takashi quickly put the PokéDex back into his pocket. He then turned his undivided attention towards both Fearow and Golbat. The situation, which was already difficult to begin with, was now even more troublesome. Still, Takashi managed to keep his cool. Panicking wasn't going to change anything. Right now, he needed to stay if he and Pidgey were going to get out of this situation in one piece.

As for Kaze, the criminal was busy snickering to himself as he glared at Takashi. Although he managed to catch him off guard with his earlier tactics, Kaze was determined not to let that happen again. Now, with both Golbat and Fearow by his side, the real battle was now about to begin.

"It's time…" He said. "Golbat, use Air Cutter!"

With a powerful scream, Golbat began to process of unleashing its attack by rapidly flapping both of its wings. As it did so, the Bat Pokémon created several tiny blasts of compressed air at Pidgey. When Pidgey saw them, he tried his best to avoid all of them by flying higher into the air. However, just when it looked like Pidgey was safe, Fearow was hovering right above him.

"Now Fearow…Fury Attack!"

Without any time to react, Pidgey was quickly pummeled by several powerful strikes from Fearow's beak. The final strike of the assault was so great that the Tiny Bird Pokémon was sent crashing towards the ground. Not only that, but before Pidgey could even get up, Golbat brought back down with another barrage of its Air Cutter attack. This resulted in Pidgey being trapped in a small crater as his opponents continued to fly above him.

Upon seeing the dreadful situation that Pidgey was in, Takashi instinctively ran up and attempted to reach his newest Pokémon. Unfortunately, before he could even get close, Fearow fired off a powerful Hyper Beam attack at him. In the nick of time, Takashi managed to jump out of the way. He then looked up as Fearow prepared itself fire off another blast.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kaze pointed out to him. "My Pokémon do get ever so upset when their battles are interrupted."

As his opponent started snickering at him again, Takashi started gritting his teeth in anger. Kaze had a lot of nerve to say that to him, especially since he was the one who interfering by sending out another Pokémon. Takashi was eager to step in, but Fearow blasted at him with another Hyper Beam attack. The Beak Pokémon wasn't about to let him help Pidgey. It wanted him watch as both it and Golbat finished off the Tiny Bird Pokémon right before his eyes.

Soon, the battle looked like it was about to reach its conclusion, Pidgey managed to pull himself from out of the crater that he was in. He then looked over at Takashi for a moment, giving him a confident nod. In the short time that he's known him, Pidgey has quickly grown attached to the young Trainer, especially after he encouraged him. It's because of this attachment that Pidgey wasn't about to go down without a fight and so it promptly goaded both Golbat and Fearow. When Kaze saw that, the criminal let out another sinister laugh.

"It seems like you ready for some more punishment," He said. "That's fine by me. Golbat, use Bite and Fearow, use Drill Peck!"

Once they heard their orders, both Golbat and Fearow immediately responded to Kaze's command and started flying straight for Pidgey. As he watched this from a distance, Kaze knew that it would be all over for Pidgey if their combined attack landed. This battle was as good as over and the criminal wanted to see the look of despair on Takashi's face when Pidgey was finally put down. However, just before the attacks could connect, something unexpected occurred.

Instead of giving in to despair, Takashi let out a confident smile. As Kaze looked on in confusion, Takashi raised his right hand into the air and snapped his fingers. When he did so, a bolt of lightning shot from one corner of the forest while a barrage of bubbles shot from the other. The two attacks struck Fearow and Golbat, sending them back and away from Pidgey. Once they were a good distance away, Kaze watched as both Pikachu and Froakie appeared and stood right next to Pidgey.

"Earlier you said that I was fool to think that this would be a one-on-one battle," Takashi told Kaze. "Well the same thing applies to you. You're a fool to think that I would fight fair against a criminal like you!"

Although he truly wanted to fight this battle fairly, Takashi had the foresight to predict that Kaze might try something like this. Because of that, he instructed both Pikachu and Froakie to hide out in the forest and observe the battle closely. If things went south or if Kaze were to try anything funny, the two of them were then told to step in and assist, like they did just now. It wasn't fair, but when it came to someone like Kaze, Takashi didn't really care about following the rules.

As for Pidgey himself, the Tiny Bird Pokémon looked on as both Pikachu and Froakie stood by his side. Originally, Pidgey would've pushed the two of them aside and fought this battle on his own. However, things were different now and he was glad they were by his side. Now, with the odds in their favor, the time had come to finally put Kaze in his place.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Takashi commanded. "Froakie, use Bubble and Pidgey, use Gust!"

Right away, the three Pokémon responded to their Trainer's orders and unleashed their respective attacks. Pikachu fired off another powerful electric blast at Fearow and Golbat while Froakie launched another barrage of bubbles at them from her mouth. At the same time, Pidgey unleashed another windstorm that rapidly sped up the two attacks. This allowed the attacks to strike their targets before either Fearow or Golbat had a chance to move, much to the satisfaction of both Takashi and his Pokémon.

Meanwhile, as he watched both of his Pokémon struggle to get back to their feet, Kaze started glaring at Takashi with a strong intensity. This battle has already gone longer than intended and although it was proven that Takashi wasn't as weak as he first thought, Kaze knew that he should have beaten him already. Now he found himself at a 3-to-2 disadvantage with one of his opponent's Pokémon, Pikachu, having a major type advantage over his own Pokémon. This needed to end right now and Kaze had just the means to do so.

Discreetly, Kaze put his hand behind his back and lifted up his shirt. On the back of his belt was another PokéBall, which contained his strongest Pokémon. Although he was ashamed that things had come this far, the criminal no longer cared about maintaining his own twisted version of pride. Right now, all that mattered to him was winning and with this Pokémon, victory was inevitable. Unfortunately, before he even had a chance to grab a hold of the PokéBall, something swooped in and grabbed it before he could.

When he turned around, Kaze saw that the one who grabbed his PokéBall was a Taillow. However, it wasn't any ordinary Taillow as it belonged to Ariel, who just emerged from another section of the forest. Also with her, much to Kaze's utter horror, was all of the Flying-Type Pokémon that was previously under her care. The young woman took hold of the PokéBall from her Taillow and began spinning it around on one finger.

"Oh…were you about to use this?" She said with a sly smile. "Sorry, but we can't have that."

As she watched Ariel put the PokéBall away, Kaze instantly realized what was going on here. Takashi wasn't here battling him just so that he could defeat him. Instead, the entire purpose of this battle was to distract Kaze long enough for Ariel to locate and free all the captured Pokémon. Now with them back with Ariel, Kaze now saw himself surrounded by all fronts with no clear way out.

While trying to figure out what to do, Kaze glanced over and saw Takashi walking up to his Pokémon. After smiling at each of them, especially Pidgey, the young man turned his focus directly towards Kaze. Although he had every intention of putting him down right now, Takashi wanted prove that he was the better man in this situation. To that end, he gave the criminal a single ultimatum.

"Leave this place and never come back!" He declared. "Do so and you have my word that we won't pursue. But don't…and we'll make sure that you and your Pokémon never fight another battle again!"

Upon hearing Takashi say that to him, Kaze's anger reached its tipping point. It would be one thing if he just defeated him, but he's instead offering him a chance to leave. This was a major blow to his pride, mostly because it gave the impression that Takashi could defeat him at any moment, but found that it wasn't worth the effort. It was the ultimate insult and Kaze wasn't about to let some brat get the better of him anymore.

"Don't you dare look down on me, boy!" He yelled. "Fearow, Golbat…attack them now!"

Picking themselves up from off the ground, both of Kaze's Pokémon flew up and began making their way towards Takashi and the others at an incredible speed. Fortunately, before they could even get close to him, all of Takashi's Pokémon blocked their path. Froakie and Pidgey knocked Fearow and Golbat back with both a Pound and Quick Attack. Pikachu then zapped them both with a powerful Thunder Shock, the sheer intensity of which rendered them unconscious.

Once he saw his Pokémon fall to the ground, Kaze angrily clinched his teeth. He then turned around and began making his way towards Ariel, intending to take back the PokéBall that she stole from him. Before he could do so however, all of the Flying Pokémon that was under Ariel's care immediately came to her defense and assaulted Kaze with a barrage of attacks. The final one came from Ariel's Taillow, which knocked Kaze down with its Wing Attack.

As Kaze struggled to get back to his feet, Pidgey started walking over towards him. When the Tiny Bird Pokémon eventually reached the criminal, he started glaring at him with a fierce intensity. When he saw that, Kaze immediately stepped back a bit as Pidgey's eyes made him look like he was looking down on him. He then attempt to swipe at the Pokémon, but Pidgey easily flew up out of the way.

"It's time for you to get out of here!" Takashi declared. "Pidgey, use Gust now!"

Without any hesitation, Pidgey started flapping his wings at Kaze and unleashed a small windstorm at him. At first, the storm wasn't strong enough to do anything so Kaze was able to resist it easily. But, as he continued to flap his wings, Pidgey soon found himself joined by his fellow Flying-Type. They too started flapping their wings at Kaze and the resulting wind that they were creating quickly grew in intensity. It soon reached the point that the criminal was barely able to hold on. Once he finally lost his balance, Kaze was lifted off the ground and sent flying out of the Viridian Forest, along with both of his Pokémon.

"And don't you dare come back!"

* * *

With the situation finally taken care of and all the Flying Pokémon now safe and sound, Ariel was busy leading Takashi down a path through the Viridian Forest. Grateful for everything that he's done, the young woman wanted to repay the Pokémon Trainer in some way. After a bit of prying, she soon learned that he was making his way to Pewter City for a Gym Battle. If he continued down the path that he was walking, Ariel knew that it would take Takashi quite a bit longer for him to finally get there. To that end, she decided to take him down a shortcut that she knew of.

After about 2 hours of walking, Takashi noticed that the trees that were all around him were gradually becoming smaller. He also saw that the path that he was walking down was starting to look more and straighter and focus. Although he wasn't entirely sure, he soon began to assume that he was now reaching the edge of the forest. That assumption soon became a reality when he and Ariel reached a large open space.

"There…" Ariel said as she looked at Takashi. "Now, if you continue down this path you should reach Pewter City in the next 2 to 3 days."

"Really…?" Takashi replied, amazed by what he heard. "That's great!"

When he first arrived in the Viridian Forest, Takashi believed that it would take him about 10 to 14 days to navigate through it if he followed the map. It's been roughly 6 days, so at worst he had another 8 more days to go. But now, thanks to Ariel's shortcut, he no longer had to travel as long. His battle at the Pewter Gym was now closer than ever before and the prospect of that excited the young Trainer to no end.

As he continued to think about his upcoming battle, Takashi suddenly remembered 2 things. The first was regarding Ariel and all the Flying Pokémon that was under her care. Although they managed to drive Kaze away, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't return and cause more trouble. While he wanted to be optimistic, just the thought of that worried Takashi quite and wanted to know what Ariel was going to do.

"So…What about that Kaze guy?" He asked. "Got any plans on how to deal with him?"

"…I have a few," Ariel revealed. "But the first I'm going to move all the Pokémon to another secret location. Now that Kaze knows where this place is, it isn't safe anymore."

Nodding his head in agreement, Takashi understood Ariel's intentions. Although moving to a new sanctuary would be a difficult transition, especially since she's taking care of all of those Pokémon by herself, it was ultimately the right thing to do. Besides, with her gone, Kaze will have a hard time finding them if he ever decides to show his ugly face again.

As for the next thing that was on Takashi's mind, the young man looked down for a moment before reaching for a PokéBall that was attached to his belt. Inside the ball was Pidgey, who was resting after all the battles that it had recently. Despite everything that Ariel told him previously, Takashi still wanted to be sure that it was okay to take Pidgey with him on his Journey.

"Are you sure you don't mind? I mean…you have been taking care of Pidgey for such a long time. I don't want to cause any problems."

"It's fine," She confirmed. "In fact, even if you haven't caught him earlier I probably would've asked that you take Pidgey with you."

Caught off guard by her statement, Takashi stared at Ariel with a confused look on his face. He then watched as the young looked up towards the sky for a moment. As she watched a flock of Flying Pokémon fly off into the distance, she thought about all the time she had with Pidgey. Although it would be sad to let him go, Ariel knew that this was ultimately for the best.

"I told you before that Pidgey wants to be as strong as his father one day," She said to him. "However…he won't be able to do that if he continues to stay here. In order for Pidgey to achieve his dream, he has to go out and experience all kinds of things that he could never be able to witness otherwise. Also, if I'm being perfectly honest, I think Pidgey is better off sticking with you, Takashi. The two of you were made for each other. Just promise me that you'll take good care of him."

"…I promise." Takashi said with a nod.

Satisfied with his response, Ariel returned Takashi's nod with one of her own. The young woman then said her goodbyes as she left with her Flying Pokémon to their new hiding place. As for Takashi, the young man looked down at Pidgey's PokéBall for a moment before opening it up. Once Pidgey materialized before him, he knelt down at the Tiny Bird Pokémon before proceeding to gently pet the top of his head.

"Well Pidgey…The two of us are going to be partners from now on. Let's have a good time and get stronger together."

Takashi extended his hand out towards Pidgey and waited to see how he would respond. Instead of shaking his hand with his wing however, Pidgey responded by flying up and landing happily on Takashi's head. When he noticed that, Takashi let out a small laugh as he was quite amused by that. He then stood up and began walking down the path towards Pewter City, together with his newest Pokémon friend.

"Pewter City…Here we come!"

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Pewter City is so close that Takashi can practically taste it. However, just before he can get there, another situation presents itself to our young Pokémon Trainer. Just what is this problem and how long will it keep Takashi busy until he can finally have his Gym Battle?_

 _Next Time, Chapter 10: Lost and Found_

 _ **Announcements**_

 **Spirit Reader:** _Hey guys, it's Spirit Reader here. I've hope you've enjoyed these latest updates to Pokemon: Thunder Yellow. I know I've been gone for a while, but I'm happy to say that things are going well now. Please leave a review so that I can hear your thoughts on the chapters. I would greatly appreciate it. In addition, please know that there will be no chapter next week. Chapter 10 will instead be released during the first weekend of May. Well, that's it for now. Until next time, this is Spirit Reader Signing Off!_


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